V.. 


.. 


/  v 


LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


OF 


JOHN    A.    QUIT!  AN, 

MAJOR-GENERAL,   U.S.A.,  AND   GOVERNOR   OF   THE    STATE   OF 
MISSISSIPPI. 


BY 


J.  F.  II.  CLAIBOENE. 

TN  TWO  VOLUMES. 

VOL.  I. 


NEW    YORK: 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS,  PUBLISHERS, 

FRANKLIN    SQUARE. 

1860. 


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Entered,  according  JtoTAct [of  tS>n|r$B8» jla  tlKjyfaj-.oJiQrttKlufi^Hcl  eight  hundred 
and  sixty,  by 

HARPER  &   BROTHERS, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


TO 


THE  YOUNG  MEN  OF  THE  SOUTH, 

THIS    MEMOIR 

OF  ONE  "WHO  BECAME,  BY  HIS  OWN  EXERTIONS,  EMINENT  AT  THE 

BAR,  ON  THE  BENCH,  IN  THE  ARMY,  AND  IN  THE  COUNCILS 

OF  IHS  COUNTRY,  AND  MAINTAINED  THROUGH  LIFD 

HIS  PERSONAL  VIRTUE  AND  POLITICAL 

INTEGRITY,  IS 


jvi8936± 


INTRODUCTION. 


I  PEESEXT  these  volumes  with  diffidence  to  the 
public.  They  have  been  written  from  a  sentiment 
of  duty,  under  the  drawback  of  ill  health,  and  at  in 
tervals  snatched  from  other  pressing  engagements. 

My  aim  has  been  to  make  them,  like  the  man  whose 
acts  they  recite,  plain  and  frank,  without  pretension 
or  parade.  Wherever  it  has  been  practicable,  I  have 
preferred  original  letters  to  my  own  speculations,  and 
thus  the  work  may  be  considered  an  autobiography. 

The  difficulty  of  procuring  documents  has  occasion 
ed  some  delay,  for  it  is  no  part  of  the  merit  of  the 
South  to  attach  the  proper  value  to  the  materials  of 
history.  The  reports  made  by  the  field-officers  of  the 
first  Mississippi  regiment  of  the  services  of  their  re 
spective  commands  at  Monterey — a  document  essen 
tial  to  the  glory  of  the  state,  and  confided  to  its  ar 
chives —  can  not  be  found,  and  our  Legislature  has 
been  vainly  appealed  to  for  some  provision  to  preserve 
the  rich  but  perishable  records  now  in  private  hands. 
My  own  stores,  however,  and  the  kindness  of  friends, 
have  enabled  me  to  complete  this  work. 

Of  the  war  with  Mexico,  I  have,  of  course,  only  been 
able  to  review  so  much  as  was  required  to  illustrate 
the  services  of  Quitman.  The  glorious  deeds  of  his 
comrades  are  in  the  records  of  the  country.  No  com 
plete  history  of  that  war  has  yet  appeared.  Some 


VI  INTRODUCTION. 

military  writers  have  severely  criticised  the  operations 
of  Taylor  and  Scott,  and  more  than  insinuated  their 
incapacity  to  conduct  armies  in  the  field.  It  is  easy 
to  write  after  a  campaign  has  ended,  as  it  is  easy  to 
moralize  at  the  close  of  a  life  of  error.  An  ingenious 
casuist  may  demonstrate  almost  any  thing  on  paper. 
British  critics,  enraged  by  party  spirit,  long  contended 
that  Sir  John  Moore  was  no  general,  though  Soult, 
Wellington,  and  Napoleon,  according  to  Napier,  ex 
pressed  a  very  different  opinion.  Military  writers  for 
a  long  time  questioned  the  capacity  of  Sir  Arthur 
Wellesley,  and  find  fault  often  with  the  arrangements 
of  Napoleon.  Some  of  them  even  charged  him  with 
cowardice.  Generals  Lee,  Conway,  and  Grates,  and  the 
officers  of  their  school,  habitually  sneered  at  the  gen 
eralship  of  Washington. 

Taylor  and  Soott  both  conducted  their  campaigns, 
in  a  hostile  and  populous  country,  under  many  diffi 
culties.  They  had  not  the  confidence  of  their  govern 
ment,  and,  in  that  respect,  were  in  the  position  of  Marl- 
borough  harassed  by  Dutch  civilians,  of  the  Archduke 
Charles  by  military  councils,  and  Wellesley  by  Portu 
guese  juntas  and  Spanish  regencies.  But,  like  those 
great  commanders,  they  triumphed  over  the  enemy  in 
front  and  the  "fire  in  the  rear."  They  conducted 
their  operations,  in  the  main,  according  to  the  received 
principles  of  war,  but  neither  ever  hesitated  to  adopt 
any  expedient  deemed  necessary  by  the  emergency 
of  the  hour,  and  this  it  is  that  distinguishes  the  man 
of  resources  from  the  martinet.  This  was,  in  fact,  the 
secret  of  Napoleon's  first  triumphs  in  Italy  over  the 
Austrians  of  the  old  school. 

These  incompetent  generals  of  ours  conquered  an 


IXTEODUCTION.  VU 

empire  older  than  our  own  in  the  course  of  one  cam 
paign  ! 

Such  men  may  defy  criticism.  Theory  and  specu 
lation  fall  before  facts. 

In  another  respect — their  moderation  after  victory 
— they  challenge  the  admiration  of  the  world.  Mata- 
moras,  Monterey,  Yera  Cruz,  Pucbla,  Mexico — when 
before  have  such  capitals  been  occupied  by  foreign 
troops  without  pillage,  outrage,  and  massacre  ?  The 
restraint,  the  discipline,  the  protection  to  persons  and 
property,  and  the  free  exercise  of  religious  and  social 
duties,  were  as  perfect  during  our  domination  as  in 
any  city  of  Europe  or  America. 

The  whole  campaign  was  honorable  to  our  arms 
and  country. 

In  relation  to  the  political  events  discussed  in  this 
memoir,  I  have  endeavored  to  be  impartial,  and  to  as 
sign  good  motives  where  bad  ones  were  not  obvious. 

With  a  strong  attachment  and  admiration  for  Gen 
eral  Quitman,  I  have  not  sought  to  represent  him  as 
infallible.  I  was  his  pupil  in  early  life,  but  afterward 
differed  with  him  on  many  important  questions,  as, 
for  instance,  when  he  supported  nullification,  and 
when  he  opposed  that  silent  acquiescence  in  the  com 
promise  measures  which  the  Democratic  party  recom 
mended. 

I  have  to  acknowledge,  however,  that  the  course  of 
events  has  satisfied  me  that  on  both  occasions  he  was 
right.  Carolina  stood  on  doctrines  as  old  as  the  Con 
stitution,  and  we  have  gained  no  security  by  a  tem 
porizing  and  conciliatory  policy  since. 

If  these  volumes  are  favorably  received,  they  may 
be  followed  by  a  more  piquant  volume  illustrative  of 


Vlll  INTRODUCTION. 

parties  and  public  men  in  the  South.  I  have  over 
two  thousand  letters  not  used  herein. 

In  relation  to  the  letters  submitted  to  the  reader,  I 
should  perhaps  observe  that  they  are  all  on  matters 
of  public  concern.  None  of  them  are  designated  as 
private  ;  the  parties  that  wrote  them,  if  living,  enter 
tain  the  same  opinions,  and  if  dead,  died  with  them ; 
and  they  are  opinions  that  they  never  shrank  from 
avowing.  I  feel  that  it  is  right  to  give  them  to  the 
world.  They  illustrate  the  history  of  the  past,  and 
arc  applicable  to  passing  events.  In  political  cor 
respondence  there  should  be  no  secrets,  and  no  false 
sensibility  when  they  are  submitted  to  the  public. 
Mr.  Hume,  the  English  reformer,  used  to  say,  that 
whenever  he  heard  the  word  "delicacy"  mentioned 
in  any  argument  or  public  document,  he  felt  certain 
there  was  something  wrong. 

I  have  now  to  express  my  acknowledgments  for 
documents,  facts,  and  dates,  to  Gov.  Gist,  Hon.  J.  W. 
Hayne,  Dr.  R.  W.  Gibbes,  and  Capt.  Stanley,  of  South 
Carolina ;  Col.  Thomas  Williams,  of  Alabama  ;  John 
Marshall,  Capt.  Rogers,  Capt.  Duffau,  and  J.  A.  Quin- 
tero,  of  Texas.  Messrs.  A.  G.  Brown,  Jefferson  Davis, 
J.  J.  M'Rae,  John  B.  Nevitt,  J.  T.  M'Murran,  J.  S.  B. 
Thacher,  R.  Elward,  W.  W.  W.  Wood,  Wm.  Can 
non,  J.  S.  Holt,  W.  P.  Mcllen,  J.  D.  Elliott,  Henry 
Hughes,  Thomas  Reed,  B.  W.  Sanders,  G.  Y.  II. 
Forbes,  J.  Roach,  E.  Whaley,  Rev.  C.  K.  Marshall,  and 
particularly  my  late  lamented  friends,  Hon.  Edward 
Turner  and  Hon.  C.  S.  Tarpley,  and  since  his  death 
his  estimable  widow.  To  this  accomplished  lady  I 
am  under  many  obligations  for  valuable  papers. 

Bay  of  St.  Louis,  Mississippi. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL,  I, 


CHAPTER  I. 

Ancestors  and  Parentage.— John  Frederick  Quitman,  D.D.— Settles 
in  Curafoa. — Effects  of  the  French  Revolution  on  Society. — His 
Views  of  Government. — The  Constitution  of  the  United  States  a 
Problem  to  Europe. — Washington. — His  Character  and  Career. — 
Influence  upon  Immigration  and  Capital. — Dr.  Quitman  in  Phila 
delphia. — Interview  with  Washington. — His  Connection  with  Liter 
ature. — Review  of  his  Work  on  Magic. — His  Death Page  15 

CHAPTER  II. 

John  A.  Quitman. — His  Boyhood. — Conduct  at  School. — Tutor  at 
Hartwick. — Letter  from  Dr.  Pohlman. — Goes  to  Philadelphia. — 
Assistant  Professor  in  Mount  Airy  College. — Familiar  Letters.— 
Resolves  to  remove  to  Ohio. — The  Great  West 25 

CHAPTER  III. 

Keel-boating  on  the  Ohio. — Arrival  at  Chilicothe. — Family  Let 
ters. — Dr.  Hosack  of  New  York,  or  Young  Physic  and  Old  Physic. 
— Removes  to  the  Village  of  Delaware. — Ohio  forty  Years  since. 
— Admitted  to  the  Bar. — Letter  from  Mrs.  Griffith. — Departs  for 
the  South 41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Journey.  — Jockeyed  out  of  his  Horse.  — Feelings  on  the  Road. 
— Embarks  at  Louisville. — Arrives  at  Natchez. — His  first  Letter. 
— Low  State  of  his  Finances. — Philosophy. — William  B.  Griffith. 
— Natchez  in  1822. — "Under  the  Hill." — Mississippi  Planters.— 
Mode  of  Life  and  Revenues. — New-year's  Day  in  the  South. — Ad 
mitted  to  the  Bar. — Takes  Charge  of  Mr.  Griffith's  Business. — 
Southern  Hospitality. — Letter  from  Mr.  Griffith. — Northern  No 
tions  of  the  South. — Ohio  Judges. — Dress. — His  first  Commission. 
— Life  at  the  South. — Slavery  and  Slave. — Life  contrasted  with 
A  2 


X  CONTENTS. 

Life  at  the  North. — Negro  Habits  and  Characteristics. — Natchez 
in  an  Epidemic Page  G8 

CHAPTER  V. 

His  Marriage. — Death  of  Mr.  Griffith. — John  T.  M'Murran.—  His 
first  Canvass. — John  Hawkins  and  Brown  Bess. — Is  elected  to  the 
Legislature. — The  Indian  Question. — William  Haile. — The  Choc- 
taws  and  Chickasaws. — Appointed  Chancellor. — His  Views  of  the 
Chancery  System. — Thomas  B.  Eeed. — Quitman  and  the  U.  S. 
Senate. — George  Poindcxter  and  Robert  H.  Adams. — Quitman's 
Views  of  State  Policy. — He  visits  the  North. — Letters  from  New 
York. — Political  Parties  and  religious  Societies. — Returns  home. 
— Declares  for  States'  Rights. — Candidate  for  the  Convention. — 
Opposition. — His  bold  Defense. — An  elective  Judiciary. — His 
Course  in  the  Convention 88 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Elected  Chancellor.  — Death  of  his  Father.  — Family  Afflictions.  — 
Resigns  his  Office.  —  Elected  Senator.  —  Railroad  Enterprises.  — 
Union  and  Brandon  Banks. — His  busy  Life. — Domestic  Slavery  an 
Element  of  Strength. — War  in  Texas. — Public  Meetings  in  Nat 
chez.  —  The  Fencibles.  —  Banner  Song.  — Departure.  — Letters. 
—  Extracts  from  his  Journal.  — The  Gamblers.  — Adventure  with 
Robbers.  —  Returns  home. — His  Services  and  Humanity. — His 
early  Faith  in  Volunteers. — Quitman  and  Stephen  Girard. — Runs 
for  Congress. — State  of  Parties. — Clay,  Webster,  Calhoun,  Harri 
son,  VanBuren,  and  White. — Coalitions  demoralizing. — Grandeur 
of  Van  Buren's  Position. — Quitman's  Mistake. — His  Defeat. — Ap 
pointed  Brigadier  General 130 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Sails  for  Europe. — Theatricals  in  Cork.  —  Irish  Beggars. —  Grand 
Review  in  Dublin. — London. — An  American  Lady. — Wellington 
and  Lord  Brougham. — The  Tomb  of  Andre. — The  Tower. — The 
Old  Bailey. — London  at  Midnight. — The  great  Bell  of  St.  Paul's. 
— The  Queen. — The  Royal  Chapel. — Sabbath  in  Rotterdam. — A 
Yankee  Tar. —  Gin-drinking  among  the  Dutch. — Meets  an  old 
Townsman. — The  Dinner-table. — Coblentz. — Waterloo. — Fails  to 
sell  the  Bonds. — Letter  from  Thomas  S.  Munce. — Return  to  the 
United  States .  1G9 


CONTEXTS.  xi 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Resumes  the  Practice  of  Law. — Pecuniary  Embarrassment. — Attach 
ment  to  his  Slaves. — Horror  of  Debt. — Benton  and  Calhoun. Let 
ter  to  his  Brother. — Plantation  Economy.  —  Peculiarities  of  Ne 
groes. — How  they  should  be  treated. — Texas  and  Santa  Anna. — 
Letter  to  Gen.  Houston. — The  Union  Bank  Bond  Question. — Chief 
Justice  Smith.  —  Quitman's  Views. — The  Anti-bonders. — Argu 
ment.  —  Political  Condition  of  the  State.  —  Social  Demoralization. 
— The  Banks.  —  Mob  Law. — The  great  Union  Bank.  —  Its  Rise 
and  Fall. — Errors  of  the  Bond-payers. — Quitman's  Position. — Be 
comes  a  Candidate  for  the  U.  S.  Senate. — Atacked  by  Gov. 
M'Nutt.  —  His  Defense.  —Gen.  Foote.  —  Is  defeated.  —  Political 
Treachery Page  185 

CHAPTER  IX. 

War  with  Mexico. — Quitman  offers  his  Services. — Coldness  of  tho 
President. — Parallel  between  Quitman  and  Polk. — The  Cabinet. — 
Exertions  for  Quitman. — His  Appointment. — Diary. — The  Army  at 
Camargo. — Character  of  Gen.  Taylor. — Neglect  of  the  War  De 
partment.— The  March.— Monterey.— The  Battle.— The  Capitula 
tion. — Gen.  Taylor's  Letter  to  Gen.  Gaines. — Political  Jealousy. — 
Col.  Jefferson  Davis. — Moral  Effect  of  the  Capitulation. — Quit 
man's  View  of  it.  — Letter  to  Robert  J.  Walker 227 

CHAPTER  X. 

Discontent  of  Gen.  Taylor. — Expedition  to  Victoria. — Holt's  Jour 
nal. — Division  of  Quitman's  Command. — The  Mississippi  Regi 
ment. — Tampico. — Siege  of  Vera  Cruz. — Quitman's  first  Battle. 
— Alvarado  Expedition. — Marches  for  Puebla. — Question  of  Rank. 
— Correspondence  with  Gen.  Scott. — Quitman's  Freedom  from  Jeal 
ousy. — Social  Relations 275 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Review  of  our  Relations  with  Mexico. — Scott's  Proclamation. — Dis 
approval  of  the  President. — Ingersoll's  Report. — Spirit  of  the  South 
and  West. — Condition  of  Mexico. — Obstacles  encountered  by  Tay 
lor  and  Scott. — Mr.  Trist. — His  Mission. — Rupture  and  Reconcili 
ation  with  Gen.  Scott. — Gen.  Pillow. — British  and  Mexican  In 
trigues. — Secret  Conference  at  Puebla. — The  Gomez  Letter. — 
Report  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry. — Gen.  Scott's  Letter. — Quitman's 
Position...  ..  309 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK  XII. 

Advance  from  Puebla. — Valley  of  Mexico. — Approaches  to  the  Cap 
ital. — The  Chalco  Route,  and  the  Controversy  it  occasioned. — 
Duncan's  Keconnoissance. — Mason  and  Beauregard's  Reconnois- 
sance. — Remarks. — The  proposed  Assault  on  Mexicalzingo. — Bat 
tle  of  Contreras. — Battle  of  San  Antonio. — Battle  of  Churubusco. 
— Death  of  Colonel  Butler.  —  Lieutenant  Colonel  Dickinson. — 
Kearney's  Charge. — Overtures  from  the  Enemy. — Quitman  at  San 
Augustin. — The  Armistice Page  330 

CHAPTER  Xin. 

The  Armistice. — Mexican  Treachery. — Credulity  of  Gen.  Scott. — 
Resumption  of  Hostilities. — Battle  of  Molino  del  Rey. — Queries. — 
Council  at  Piedad. — Defenses  of  the  Capital. — Chapultepec.— Pil 
low's  Advance. — Quitman's  Assault. — Detour  of  Shields. — Quit 
man  on  the  Rock  of  Chapultepec. — Advance  on  the  Belen. — Leads 
the  Charge. — Surrender  of  the  City. — The  American  Flag. — Ap 
pointed  Governor  of  Mexico. — His  Popularity. — Returns  to  the 
United  States. — Reception  in  New  Orleans. — Welcome  home..  350 


LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE 


OF 


JOHN    A.    Q  U  I  T  M  A  N. 


LIFE  AND  CORRESPONDENCE 


OF 


JOHN  A,  QULTJI  AN, 


CHAPTER  J, 


Ancestors  and  Parentage. — John  Frederick  Quitman,  D.D. — Settles 
in  Curacoa. — Effects  of  the  French  Revolution  on  Society. — His 
Views  of  Government. — The  Constitution  of  the  United  States  a 
Problem  to  Europe. — Washington. — His  Character  and  Career. — 
Influence  upon  Immigration  and  Capital. — Dr.  Quitman  in  Phila 
delphia. — Interview  with  Washington. — His  Connection  with  Liter 
ature. — Review  of  his  Work  on  Magic. — His  Death. 

I  AM  to  record  the  acts  of  a  man  whose  whole  life  was 
governed  by  fixed  rules  of  action,  maintained  with  untir 
ing  energy  and  inflexible  will.  He  possessed  what  Cicero 
notes  as  the  characteristic  of  the  younger  Brutus :  quid- 
quid  mdt,  vcdde  mdt. 

"The  true  test  of  a  great  man,"  says  Lord  Brougham, 
"  is  his  having  been  in  advance  of  his  age." 

Bearing  these  things  in  mind,  there  will  be  no  difficul 
ty  in  comprehending  the  career  of  John  A.  Quitman,  and 
the  consistency  and  decision  that  marked  it  throughout. 

The  tradition  is,  that  during  the  time  of  Luther,  a  citi 
zen  of  Rome,  of  the  famous  family  of  the  Marcelli,  having 
adopted  the  doctrines  of  the  Reformation,  sought  refuge 
in  Germany,  and  finally  fixed  himself  at  Iserlohe,  West 
phalia,  where  he  assumed  the  name  of  Quitman — a  name 
compounded  from  the  old  Saxon,  signifying  "freeman." 
One  of  his  descendants  settled  in  Cleves,  and  from  him 


16  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

the  Quitman  family  in  the  United  States  have  sprung. 
The  grandfather  of  Gen.  Quitman  was  a  man  of  science 
and  distinction,  who  held,  under  the  Prussian  govern 
ment,  for  the  greater  portion  of  his  life,  the  important 
office  of  Inspector  of  Harbors,  Dikes,  and  Military  Roads. 
His  residence  was  on  a  small  island  in  the  Rhine,  near 
the  city  of  Cleves,  which,  having  been  swept  away  by 
an  unprecedented,  flpo.d,  gave  his  son,  in  after  life,  occa 
sion  to  say,  wheii  questioned  as  to  the  place  of  his  birth, 
that  he  had  .no.  native  place,  but  was  a  citizen  of  the 
wo?-ld.,  ;  :.  -  :  ;.\  t  : 

This  son,  Frederick  Henry  Quitman,  qualified  himself 
at  an  early  age  for  the  University  of  Halle ;  indeed,  the 
rules  as  to  age  were  relaxed  on  account  of  his  attain 
ments.  He  soon  won  the  confidence  of  the  professors 
of  that  famous  institution.  Rather  against  the  inclina 
tions  of  his  father,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  study  of 
theology,  and  soon  became  distinguished  as  a  dialectician 
and  casuist.  Having  completed  his  studies  at  nineteen 
years  of  age,  he  accepted  the  position  of  precept  or  to  the 
daughters  of  the  Prince  of  Waldeck — Count  Rantzowe 
(who  afterward  made  some  figure  in  history)  holding  the 
same  trust  toward  the  young  princes  of  that  house.  This 
engagement  lasted  two  years.  Resolving  then  to  enter 
the  ministry,  he  repaired  to  Amsterdam,  and  presented 
himself  to  the  Lutheran  Consistorium  of  the  United  Prov 
inces.  That  learned  and  influential  body  had  the  direc 
tion  of  missions,  and  other  ecclesiastical  affairs,  in  Hol 
land  and  its  colonies.  He  was  ordained,  and  dispatched 
to  the  island  of  CuraQoa,  where  he  received  a  cordial 
welcome.  After  a  residence  of  twelve  months,  he  mar 
ried  Anna  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  John  Casper  Hueck, 
one  of  the  most  influential  citizens  of  Curasoa.  She  was 
a  woman  of  refined  and  elegant  manners ;  her  mind  had 
been  carefully  cultivated;  her  countenance  was  Intel- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  17 

lectual  and  full  of  character ;  her  disposition  gentle  and 
obliging. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Quitman  retained  his  charge  some  twelve 
years,  faithfully  discharging  the  duties  that  devolve  upon 
a  pastor :  to  inculcate  religious  sentiment  and  social  im 
provement;  relieve  the  distressed,  comfort  the  sick,  and 
support  the  dying.  In  our  hours  of  prosperity,  the  serv 
ant  of  God  is  often  forgotten,  sometimes  sneered  at.  But 
there  come  periods  in  the  life  of  every  man  when  pleas 
ure  has  no  charms^  wealth  no  resource,  wretchedness  no 
consolation.  It  is  then  that  we  appreciate  the  beloved 
pastor,  forgetful  of  neglect,  cordial  in  his  sympathies, 
tender  even  unto  tears  ! 

About  this  period,  the  convulsions  that  had  dislocated 
society  in  France,  and  torn  up  established  institutions 
and  the  old  notions  of  order  and  discipline,  were  felt  in 
the  West  Indies.  Jacobinism,  social  equality  without  re 
gard  to  race,  and  universal  emancipation — more  irration 
al  and  revolting  than  the  agrarianism  imputed  to  the  Ro 
mans — began  to  be  recommended  in  those  peaceful  and 
prosperous  islands,  where  the  easiest  and  most  remuner 
ative  form  of  domestic  servitude  had  long  prevailed,  and 
where  crime,  and  even  litigation,  were  almost  unknown. 
Those  monstrous  doctrines — chimeras  from  the  brains  of 
infidels  and  assassins — came  trooping,  one  after  another, 
like  bloody  spectres,  across  the  Atlantic ;  and  they  were 
followed  by  scenes  of  terror,  conflagration,  massacre,  and 
anarchy,  such  as  had  been  recently  witnessed  in  the  un 
happy  country  of  their  origin.  A  false  and  fanatical  no 
tion  of  liberty  began  to  prevail.  Society  was  rapidly  de 
moralized.  After  having  vainly,  and  at  some  personal 
hazard,  resisted  the  new  state  of  things,  Dr.  Quitman  re 
solved  to  seek  some  other  abode.  Like  the  great  Earl 
of  Chatham,  he  believed,  "  where  law  ends,  there  tyran 
ny  begins  ;"  and  he  justly  regarded  the  Christian  relig- 


18  LIFE   AND    COEEESPONDEXCE    OF 

ion  as  the  only  sure  basis  for  civilization  and  order.  In 
Holland,  a  pension  for  life  for  twelve  years  of  missionary 
service,  and  a  high  place  in  the  Lutheran  Church,  guar 
anteed  by  his  learning  and  eloquence,  awaited  his  return. 
But  the  pernicious  example  of  France,  as  well  as  her  mil 
itary  power,  overshadowed  all  the  contiguous  nationali 
ties  ;  and,  after  much  consideration,  he  resolved  to  fix 
himself  in  the  United  States,  the  freest  country  in  the 
world,  yet  with  notions  of  liberty  wholly  opposed  to  the 
irrational  and  extreme  views  of  European  revolutionists. 
The  philosophers  of  the  Continent  did  not  then,  and  do 
not  now,  comprehend  the  nature  of  constitutional  gov 
ernment.  The  whole  tribe  of  encyclopedists,  when  mon 
archy  was  extinguished  in  France,  was  incapable  of  pro 
ducing  a  simple  Constitution.  Their  ablest  writers,  after 
critical  study,  and  even  personal  observation,  have  never 
yet  been  able  to  give  a  correct  definition  of  our  peculiar 
system.  With  a  thousand  years  of  experience,  they  are 
less  practical,  and  more  ignorant  of  the  principles  of  po 
litical  liberty  than  the  Romans.  They  conquer  kings 
raid  demolish  aristocracies,  but  of  popular  rights  and  the 
restraints  of  law,  civil  liberty  and  social  order,  they  have 
no  proper  conception.  All  their  theories  amplify  them 
selves  into  impracticable  optimism,  or  degenerate  into 
brutality  and  blood.  IS"ot  until,  in  the  fullness  of  our  mis 
sion,  we  teach  them  common  sense  and  enlightened  con 
servatism,  will  France,  Spain,  Germany,  Italy,  and  the  na 
tions  of  this  hemisphere  that  have  sprung  from  them,  un 
derstand  what  regulated  liberty  means,  and  what  blessings 
it  confers.  Their  absurd  transcendentalism — their  vul 
gar  and  disorganizing  radicalism — the  strife  of  factions — 
the  war  upon  religion — the  jealousy  of  property — the  rule 
of  the  mob,  or  imperial  despotism,  are  the  only  substi 
tutes  Europe  has  yet  invented  for  the  evils  of  hereditary 
monarchy,  privileged  orders,  and  the  dominion  of  the 


JOHN  A.  QUmiAN.  19 

Church.  There  must  be  a  general  conflagration  of  an 
cient  and  polluted  things,  and  of  dangerous  modern  fal 
lacies,  and  the  Old  World  and  its  offshoots  to  the  south 
of  us  must  be  Americanized  before  they  can  comprehend 
real  freedom. 

The  American  Revolution  gave  birth  to  no  anarchy. 
It  spawned  no  crimes.  During  the  war  and  after  it,  old 
English  notions  of  law  and  order  prevailed.  The  army, 
without  an  effort,  melted  into  the  great  body  of  the  peo 
ple,  and  returned  to  civil  pursuits.  It  is  a  remarkable 
fact,  stated  by  Gouvcrncur  Morris  in  a  letter  to  Hamil 
ton,  Paris,  Feb.  IGth,  1793,  that  "a  great  proportion  of 
the  French  officers  who  served  in  America  were  either 
opposed  to  the  revolution  in  their  own  country,  or  felt 
themselves  obliged,  by  its  excesses,  to  abandon  it."  They 
found  the  people  too  ignorant  and  too  corrupt  to  sup 
port  a  legal  administration.  Habituated  to  obey,  they 
required  a  master,  and,  like  the  citizens  of  ancient  Rome, 
the  French  people  had  reached  a  period  when  Cato  was 
a  madman,  and  Caesar  a  necessary  evil.  That  a  large 
portion  of  the  people  in  our  Eastern  states  and  frontier 
territories,  from  the  abuse  of  the  democratic  principle  of 
popular  sovereignty,  have  begun  to  regard  liberty  as  li 
cense,  and  have  no  adequate  conception  of  constitutional 
restraint,  is  not  to  be  denied. 

In  his  island  home  Dr.  Quitman  had  studied  the  career 
and  character  of  Washington ;  and  guarantees  for  law, 
order,  and  stability,  derived  from  this  study,  induced  the 
staid  and  order-loving  clergyman  to  seek  an  asylum  in 
the  United  States.  Washington  had  conducted  our 
army  through  a  protracted  and  unequal  war.  He  had 
been  placed  at  the  head  of  a  new  and  untried  govern 
ment,  to  be  managed  without  reference  to  past  prece 
dents,  and  exposed  at  every  step  to  temptation  and  dan 
ger.  False  friends,  enthusiastic  advisers,  open  or  covert 


20  LIFE   AND    COEBESPONDENCE    OF 

enemies,  with  plaudits  and  menaces,  beset  him.  French 
appeals  and  French  intrigue,  sustained  by  a  powerful  and 
popular  party  in  this  country — the  crash  of  thrones  and 
the  progress  of  so-called  republicanism  in  Europe — the 
popular  recollection  of  the  wrongs  we  had  endured  from 
Great  Britain  and  the  aid  we  had  received  from  France, 
all  conspired  to  influence  and  embarrass  his  administra 
tion.  With  a  well-organized  British  army  to  encounter 
— with  a  divided  country  to  defend,  there  having  been 
"more  American  Tories  in  the  king's  service  than  the 
whole  of  the  enlisted  troops  in  the  service  of  Congress"* 
— without  money  or  credit,  or  any  controlling  govern 
ment  to  supply  his  necessities,  he  had  maintained  his 
army  in  the  field  by  his  personal  influence,  and  secured, 
by  his  prudence  as  much  as  by  his  valor,  the  independ 
ence  of  the  country.  Great  as  were  his  difficulties  dur 
ing  the  war,  he  encountered  and  subdued  more  after  the 
organization  of  the  government.  In  opposition  to  his 
personal  friends — against  public  opinion  in  his  own  com 
monwealth — at  the  hazard  of  a  total  loss  of  popularity, 
he  maintained  the  neutrality  of  the  republic  between 
France  and  England,  and  thus  preserved  the  independ 
ence  he  had  won  by  the  sword.  His  celebrated  procla 
mation  of  neutrality  was  the  sublime  of  moral  courage, 
and  may  now  be  regarded  as  the  greatest  action  of  his 
life.  He  stands  like  an  isthmus  in  the  bloody  chart  of 
history,  between  despotism  on  one  hand,  and  the  licen 
tiousness  of  liberty  on  the  other.  Rigid,  even  austere 
in  his  public  and  personal  virtue,  he  exacted  every  thing 
for  his  country  that  justice  demanded — asked  little  for 
himself — and  won  more  glory  by  self-denial  than  the 
whole  race  of  imperial  conquerors  by  their  triumphs  and 
usurpations ! 

*  Intercepted  letter  from  Lord  George  Germain  to  Sir  Henry 
Clinton. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  21 

It  was  thus  that  he  impressed  himself  upon  mankind 
at  a  period  when  revolution  achieved  few  results  that 
humanity  could  rejoice  at.  Thinking  men  every  where 
regarded  him  as  a  guarantee  for  order  and  stability,  and 
intellect  and  capital  poured  into  the  country. 

Dr.  Quitman,  soon  after  his  arrival,  repaired  to  Phila 
delphia  to  wait  upon  this  illustrious  chief  magistrate. 
lie  was  charmed  with  the  dignity  of  his  manners,  and 
the  respect  he  manifested  for  the  clergy.*  Soon  after 

*  Of  this  interview  he  left  the  following  interesting  memoran 
dum  : 

"A  servant  in  livery  conducted  me  into  the  presence  of  President 
Washington.  He  was  alone,  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  apartment. 
His  demeanor  was  truly  royal.  He  was  clothed  in  black  velvet.  His 
bow  was  very  stately  and  ccremonioxis.  He  invited  me  to  be  seated. 
I  waited  respectfully  until  he  took  his  chair.  I  waited  until  he  should 
choose  to  break  the  silence.  He  asked  some  questions  about  the 
West  Indies,  but,  finding  that  I  was  a  Prussian  subject,  he  passed  im 
mediately  to  my  country,  and  seemed  perfectly  informed  in  regard  to 
our  military  history.  lie  put  some  questions  to  me  about  the  subsist 
ence  and  compensation  of  the  soldiery,  in  answering  which  I  fear  I 
betrayed  my  ignorance.  He  twice  corrected  me  in  the  campaigns  of 
the  great  Frederick.  He  spoke  of  Alexander,  Cffisar,  Epaminondas, 
Mnrlboi-ough,  Charles  XII.,  Turenne,  Conde,  Wallenstein,  and  the 
great  Frederick,  but  pronounced  Hannibal  the  greatest  general  of 
them  all.  On  looking  into  the  authorities,  I  find  his  information  sur 
prisingly  accurate  and  minute. 

"When  he  became  silent  I  rose.  He  bowed  low,  but  said  nothing, 
and  I  withdrew,  bowing  myself  out.  His  manner  was  grave  and  re 
served  rather  than  haughty.  The  countenance  in  repose  was  medi 
tative  and  sad.  His  conversation  was  not  fluent  or  very  striking,  ex 
cept  for  its  common  sense.  There  was  that  about  him  which  I  can 
not  forget.  I  can  not  define  it,  but  I  am  constantly  thinking  of  him, 
and  seem  to  be  constrained  by  his  presence.  There  is  not  so  much 
real  grandeur  on  any  throne  in  Europe. 

"The  day  after  I  was  honored  Avith  a  note  from  his  secretary,  in 
viting  me  to  tea  with  the  Lady  Washington.  I  found  only  half  a 
dozen  gentlemen  and  four  ladies.  The  Lady  Washington  has  been 
handsome.  Her  manner  is  stately  and  dame-like,  but  cordial.  She 
placed  me  by  her  side,  and  often  addressed  me.  The  President  said 
but  little,  but  offered  me  many  civilities  at  table,  and  recommended 
me  to  visit  Virginia.  Both  of  them  manifested  the  utmost  respect  for 
my  ministry.  The  refreshment  consisted  of  tea,  toast,  muffins,  salted 
herring,  and  Virginia  ham,  the  two  last  from  the  President's  estate 
on  the  Potomac  Ilivcr.  At  10  o'clock,  after  a  glass  of  Madeira,  the 
guests  withdrew." 


22  LIFE  AND   COEEESPONDENCE   OF 

this  the  doctor  took  charge  of  a  Lutheran  congregation 
in  Schoharie,  New  York,  where  he  remained  until  1798, 
when  he  accepted  a  call  to  Rhinebeck,  an  ancient  Dutch 
village  on  the  North  River.  Six  years  afterward  Mrs. 
Quitman  died,  leaving  four  sons  and  three  daughters. 
All  the  former  are  dead.  Two  daughters  only  survive. 
They  reside  in  Philadelphia.  A  brother  of  this  lady, 
Carl  Hueck,  a  bold  and  adventurous  man,  in  early  life  at 
tached  himself  to  the  fortunes  of  Admiral  Brion,  of  the 
Columbian  navy,  and  distinguished  himself  during  the 
War  of  Independence.  He  was  promoted  to  a  post-cap 
taincy,  and  died  a  few  years  since  in  Venezuela.  A  sis 
ter  married  Admiral  De  Verien,  of  the  Dutch  navy. 

Two  years  after  the  death  of  his  first  wife  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Quitman  married  again.  He  maintained  an  exten 
sive  correspondence  with  a  number  of  learned  men  in 
Europe  and  the  United  States,  among  whom  were  Presi 
dent  Kirkland  of  Harvard  University,  and  Dr.  Channing 
of  Boston.  Harvard  conferred  on  him  the  degree  of 
D.D.  When  Mr.  Edward  Everett  and  Mr.  J.  Ticknor 
were  going  to  Europe,  he  provided  them  with  letters  to 
the  most  eminent  professors,  At  Gottingen,  these  Amer 
ican  students  made  so  favorable  an  impression  that  Pro 
fessor  Eichhorn  wrote  a  special  letter  of  thanks  to  the  doc 
tor  for  the  introduction  of  "  such  agreeable  young  bar 
barians."  His  letters  to  his  son  show  that  he  was  a  man 
of  scrupulous  integrity,  and  uncompromising  and  austere 
in  his  notions  of  virtue.  In  the  Medical  Repository, 
conducted  by  the  learned  Samuel  L.  Mitchill,  LL.D., 
for  1811,  there  is  a  review  of  Dr.  Quitman's  work  on 
Magic.*  He  published,  likewise,  a  series  of  sermons  on 

*  From  the  Medical  Repository . — "In  this  enlightened  ago  and  coun 
try  there  are,  even  at  this  day,  many  traces  of  magical  delusion. 
Many  persons  will  not  permit  themselves  to  be  bled  without  consulting 
the  almanac  to  know  whether  the  sign  is  favorable.  The  prohibition 


JOHN   A.  QTJITilAN.  23 

the  Reformation,  which  were  highly  spoken  of.  He  pre 
sided  for  many  years  over  the  general  synods  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  even  when  his  physical  and  mental 
powers  rendered  him  incompetent,  insisted  on  perform- 

of  palmistry,  fortune-telling,  and  such  like  arts,  by  a  special  statute  of 
New  York,  is  an  acknowledgment  of  their  prevalence  and  influence 
on  society.  The  strong  belief  in  the  witchcraft  of  the  Poughkeepsic 
girl,  in  the  demoniacal  music  and  dancing  at  Tarrytown,  and  in  the 
reputed  enchantment  which  secures  the  treasures  buried  by  Captain 
Kidd,  Blackboard,  and  other  pirates,  are  proofs  of  the  popular  prone- 
ness  to  superstition.  To  expose  and  eradicate  these  errors,  the  Rev. 
FREDERICK  H.  QUITMAN,  professor  of  divinity,  President  of  the  Lu 
theran  clergy,  and  minister  of  the  Gospel  at  Rbinebeck,  has  written 
a  learned  and  sound  treatise  on  magic,  and  the  supposed  intercourse 
between  spirits  and  men.  He  inculcates,  substantially,  the  opinions 
that  appear  in  the  writings  of  Eberhard  and  Ticdman  on  the  same 
subject.  This  curious  tract  comprehends  the  definition  of  magic  as 
the  art  of  producing  supernatural  effects  by  spiritual  agency ;  the  his 
tory  thereof  as  a  propensity  of  the  human  mind  prone  to  credulity, 
and  curiosity  about  the  future ;  the  accounts  extant  about  it  from  tho 
Chaldeans,  Persians,  Egyptians,  and  Greeks,  as  also  among  the  Jews 
and  early  Christians.  The  connection  of  magic  with  physic  is  plain 
ly  stated,  as  well  as  its  relations  with  the  civil  and  theological  systems 
of  the  Middle  Ages.  The  origin  of  the  black  art,  and  the  leagues 
with  Beelzebub  in  the  time  of  Charlemagne,  are  explained,  and  full 
details  of  the  Theurgists,  Thcosophists,  and  Mystics,  down  to  the  days 
of  Cagliostro  and  Swedenbourg,  Schroephcr,  and  Gussner.  Having 
traced  the  natural  and  literary  history  of  magic  thus  far,  Dr.  Quitman 
proceeds  to  inquire  whether  supernatural  beings  can  possibly  affect 
men,  or  enable  them  to  accomplish  supernatural  things;  whether 
there  is  any  such  intercourse  between  the  natural  and  spiritual  world, 
and  whether  there  arc  any  certain  proofs  of  witchcraft,  sorcery,  or 
magical  enchantment.  After  a  very  analytical  and  able  examination 
of  each  of  these  propositions,  he  decides  them  severally  in  the  nega 
tive.  This  inquiry  evinces  a  logical  and  perspicacious  mind,  highly 
and  carefully  cultivated.  It  is  worthy  of  special  remark,  that  his  ac 
count  of  the  Egyptian  sorceries,  of  the  Witch  of  Endor,  and  of  Simon 
Magus,  are  excellent  pieces  of  medical  as  well  as  Biblical  criti 
cism." 

We  shall  see,  in  the  course  of  this  narrative,  the  qualified  faith 
that  the  son  of  Dr.  Quitman  had  in  mysterious  influences,  or  the 
forces  of  nature. 


24  LIFE   AND   COKEESPOXDENCE    OF 

ing  his  pastoral  duties.  He  died  June  26th,  1852.  His 
remains  repose  at  Rhinebeck,  under  a  tomb  erected  by 
his  son,  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  who  was  in  youth  the 
bright  star  in  the  family  horizon,  and  in  mature  years  its 
comfort  and  support. 


JOHX   A.  QUITMAN.  25 


CHAPTER  II. 

John  A.  Quitman. — His  Boyhood.— Conduct  at  School. — Tutor  at 
Hartwick. — Letter  from  Dr.  Pohlman. — Goes  to  Philadelphia. — 
Assistant  Professor  in  Mount  Airy  College. — Familiar  Letters. — 
Resolves  to  remove  to  Ohio. — The  Great  West. 

JOHX  ANTHONY,  third  son  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Frederick 
Henry  Quitman  and  Anna  Elizabeth  Hueck,  was  born  at 
Rhinebeck,  September  1st,  1798.  "In  childhood,"  says 
one  who  knew  him  then,  "  he  exhibited  a  bold  and  self- 
reliant,  somewhat  arbitrary  temper,  especially  toward 
those  older  than  himself,  and  a  disposition  to  question 
any  authority  exercised  over  him,  and  to  rebel  against 
any  sort  of  restraint.  Toward  those  younger  than  him 
self,  especially  his  sisters,  he  was  gentle  and  forbearing. 
He  was  an  intelligent  lad,  always  fond  of  books,  and  his 
iiiuier  early  destined  him  for  the  ministry,  and  shaped 
his  studies  to  that  end.  Even  in  boyhood  idleness  was 
no  luxury  to  him.  If  not  at  his  studies,  he  was  always 
at  some  athletic  sport,  or  engaged  with  the  knife  and 
yaw  at  some  mechanical  device,  for  which  he  showed 
much  aptitude.  He  was  general  lock-mender  about  the 
house ;  constructed  the  furniture  of  his  own  room  ;  and, 
though  not  possessed  of  much  talent  for  music,  he  fabri 
cated  a  very  respectable  violin.  He  was  fond  of  chess, 
and  from  some  hard  wood  cut  his  set  of  chessmen.  I 
never  saw  him  unoccupied.  He  had  a  large  collection  of 
birds,  reptiles,  and  insects.  *****  Although 
of  such  active  habits,  he  had  been  from  childhood  sub 
ject  to  attacks  of  gloom  and  melancholy,  that  sometimes 
lasted  several  days  in  succession.  Though  never  morose, 

VOL.  I.— B 


26  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

he  preferred  being  alone  on  these  occasions,  and  would 
seclude  himself.  He  was  sensible  of  this  infirmity,  and 
conquered  it  by  reflection  and  strength  of  will." 

In  1809  he  was  placed  under  the  tuition  of  the  Rev. 
A.  Wackerhagen  (son-in-law  of  the  second  Mrs.  Quit- 
man),  a  German  divine  of  great  moral  worth,  residing 
in  Schoharie.  This  venerable  gentleman,  now  eighty- 
nine  years  of  age,  recently  wrote  as  follows  of  his  favor 
ite  pupil : 

"During  his  two  or  three  years'  sojourn  under  my 
roof  in  Schoharie,  his  conduct  was  mild,  gentle,  and 
courteous,  obtaining  for  him  the  love  of  all.  He  applied 
himself  diligently  to  the  classics,  and  paid  laudable  at 
tention  to  the  religious  and  moral  instruction  I  connect 
ed  with  his  daily  studies.  He  was  then  in  his  twelfth  or 
thirteenth  year,  and  I  do  not  remember  a  single  instance 
of  improper  conduct  or  disobedience  on  his  part.  When 
he  returned  home  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  hear  his  fa 
ther,  who  was  a  good  grammarian,  say  he  was  well  post 
ed  in  Greek  and  Latin,  and  his  morals  very  praiseworthy. 
He  afterward  took  a  high  stand  in  the  academy  of  Hart- 
wnck ;  and,  after  completing  the  course  of  study  there, 
the  trustees  appointed  him  assistant  tutor  in  the  clas 
sical  department.  His  unexpected  death,  in  a  most 
splendid  present  and  prospective  career,  has  left  us  deso 
late  and  overwhelmed  with  grief.  But,  blessed  be  the 
God  of  all  consolation,  for  the  Christian  mourner  an  eter 
nity  is  near  at  hand,  when  all  tears  shall  be  wiped  away, 
and  a  happy  reunion  will  bring  never-ending  joys." 

While  at  Mr.  Wackerhagen's,  John  first  exhibited  the 
military  spirit  that  distinguished  him  in  after  life.  A 
recruiting  officer  of  the  United  States  army  opened  a 
rendezvous  in  Schoharie,  with  whom  he  became  quite  a 
pet.  The  lieutenant  presented  him  a  drum,  fife,  and  pair 
of  colors,  and  John  enlisted  a  corps  of  juveniles,  which, 
by  regular  drilling  in  imitation  of  their  seniors,  became 
quite  a  respectable  corps  of  soldiers.  When  the  Ifeu- 
tenant  marched  off  his  recruits  at  early  dawn  one  morn- 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAX.  27 

ing,  the  Liliputians  had  disappeared.  They  had  stolen 
a  inarch  before  day,  and  were  found  drawn  up  by  the 
road-side  several  miles  from  the  village,  to  accompany 
the  command.  With  difficulty  they  were  prevailed  on 
to  return. 

In  1812  he  resumed  his  studies  at  home,  under  the  im 
mediate  supervision  of  his  father.  He  now  began  to 
think  for  himself;  and  when  he  formed  an  opinion,  as  he 
often  did,  at  variance  with  his  father  or  other  members 
of  the  family,  he  argued  for  it  with  great  tenacity.  The 
venerable  doctor  was  an  advocate  for  strong  government, 
and  a  warm  admirer  of  Alexander  Hamilton.  The  son 
early  conceived  very  liberal  notions,  and  soon  disclosed 
the  side  he  leaned  to.  Their  argument  usually  ended  by 
the  old  doctor  exclaiming  petulantly,  "Pshaw!  John, 
you  are  a  born  Democrat1' — in  those  days,  and  from  his 
lips,  any  thing  but  a  compliment. 

During  this  period  his  hours  of  recreation  were  spent 
in  athletic  exercises,  in  which  it  was  his  ambition  to  ex 
cel.  He  was  very  fleet  of  foot,  and  had  uncommon 
strength  of  arm.  He  was  an  excellent  hunter  and  trap 
per,  and,  not  caring  to  be  dependent  on  his  father,  pro 
vided  his  own  ammunition,  and,  in  some  measure,  his 
wardrobe,  by  the  produce  of  his  expeditions.  The  skins 
of  his  muskrats  supplied  him  with  pocket-money. 

In  1816,  his  mind  having  rapidly  developed  under  the 
careful  instruction  of  his  father,  he  was  invited  to  become 
tutor  at  Hartwick  Academy,  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  in 
charge  of  the  Rev.  Ernst  Lewis  Hazelius,  who  subse 
quently  removed  to  Lexington  Court-House,  South  Caro 
lina,  where  he  presided  over  a  Southern  theological  institu 
tion,  and  was  still  living  and  in  correspondence  with  his 
old  pupil  as  late  as  1850.  Besides  securing  a  small  in 
come,  this  appointment  enabled  the  young  tutor  to  pur 
sue  his  studies  for  the  ministry. 


28  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

A  letter  from  the  Rev.  Henry  N.  Pohlman,  D.D.,  of 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  says : 

"  Of  the  little  company  that  made  the  journey  to  Hart- 
wick  I  am  the  only  survivor — John  and  Albert  Quit- 
man,  Rudolph  Sutermeister,  Allen  Sutermeister  and  my 
self,  and  a  colored  servant  of  Dr.  Quitman's  for  our  char 
ioteer.*  A  merrier  party  never  took  the  road.  We 
started  from  Albany  in  October,  1816.  I  was  in  my 
sixteenth  year,  and  just  about  to  commence  my  classical 
studies.  John,  though  but  one  year  my  senior,  was  al 
ready  a  scholar,  and  occupied  the  responsible  place  of 
assistant  teacher  in  the  academy.  I  became  for  a  short 
time  his  pupil,  but  was  soon  transferred  to  a  higher  class. 
We  became  intimate  companions.  I  never  met  with  a 
nobler  character.  He  was  the  soul  of  honor,  truthful 
ness,  and  integrity ;  and,  though  sustaining  toward  many 
of  the  students  the  relation  of  tutor,  always  an  invidious 
one,  especially  when  the  tutor  is  the  junior  of  many  of 
his  pupils,  he  never  failed  to  acquire  their  confidence  and 
love.  I  have  before  me  a  faded  MS.  in  his  handwriting, 
which  reminds  me  we  were  both  very  fond  of  the  ladies, 
and  often  gave  more  attention  to  them  than  to  our  books. 
He  fancied  me  seriously  in  love,  and  hence  the  follow 
ing  jeu  d 'esprit: 

"Tell  me,  Pohlman,  now,  by  Jove, 

Igo  and  ago, 
Are  you  certainly  in  love  ? 

Irani  coram  dago. 
Say  you  so  ?  then  is  it  true  ? 
I  sincerely  pity  you. 

"  Since  you  now  confess  it  so, 
I  advise  you  straight  to  woo. 
If  you  think  accordingly, 
With  my  form  you  may  make  free. 

"Emma,  mistress  of  my  heart, 
I  am  shot  by  Cupid's  dart. 
Can  you  guess,  O  nymph  divine, 
Where  he  made  his  treacherous  shrine  ? 

"  From  your  pretty  eyes  so  blue, 
Twang  !  his  little  arrow  flew. 

*  Slavery  then  existed  in  New  York.  Dr.  Quitman  owned  several 
slaves. 


jonx  A. 

Soon  I  felt  the  stinging  pain, 
Soon  the  god  let  fly  again. 

"(Ah!  the  little  dcv'lish  elf. 
Might  he  once  but  prick  himself, 
I'll  be  whipp'd  if,  after  that, 
He'd  even  shoot  a  tabby  cat.) 

"But,  to  close  my  tale  too  true, 
I  am  deep  in  love  with  you  ; 
Happy,  then,  may  Pohlman  hear, 
Sweetly  fall  these  accents  dear : 
Henry,  I  confess  to  you, 

Igo  and  ago, 
I  am  shot  as  well  as  you, 

Irani  coram  dago." 

The  village  of  Ilartwick  is  four  miles  south  of  Coop- 
crstown,  hard  by  where  the  Susquchanna  leaves  Otsego 
Lake.  In  a  letter  to  one  of  his  brothers,  June  28th,  1810, 
he  thus  refers  to  it  and  his  tutor-life : 

To  Ins  Brother. 

"This  is  a  place  of  mountains,  valleys,  lakes,  and  woods. 
The  town  sleeps  in  a  low  vale.  From  my  window  I  see 
the  river  gliding  swiftly  through  the  valley.  It  is  deep 
and  narrow.  Mountains — before,  behind,  and  on  each 
side — fence  us  in  from  the  inquisitive  world.  It  freezes 
here  in  June,  and  the  sun  rises  and  sets  one  hour  later 
than  in  Rhinebeck.  I  am  sufficiently  busy  :  I  rise  early, 
and  studyt  ill  nine.  From  that  hour  till  12  M.,  and  in 
the  afternoon  from  2  till  5, 1  hear  one  Greek,  three  Latin, 
two  English  classes,  and  one  class  in  arithmetic.  The 
greater  part  of  the  pupils  are  older  than  myself,  and  do 
not  like  to  be  instructed  by  a  youngster.  They  try  very 
hard  to  catch  me  by  cross-questions  ;  but  I  have  thus  far 
kept  ahead  of  them,  and  hope  I  shall  be  able  to  continue 
to  do  so." 

On  the  17th  of  October,  181 7,  his  father  thus  writes  to 
him : 

From  lus  Father. 

"  The  paternal  advice  I  gave  you,  I  hope,  has  deeply 
sunk  into  your  mind.  You  can  not  be  too  careful  in 


30  LIFE   AXD    COKRESPOXDENCE    OF 

guarding  your  heart  against  such  passions,  which  have  a 
tendency  not  only  to  destroy  your  health  and  peace  of 
mind,  but  to  blast  your  future  prospects.  I  know  that 
your  natural  ambition,  and  even  the  religious  principles 
you  have  imbibed,  will  prevent  you  from  degrading  your 
self.  The  thought  of  a  father  who  loves  you  affection 
ately  has  great  influence  upon  you,  but  we  are  all  liable 
to  make  a  mistake  in  an  unguarded  moment.  Prudence, 
therefore,  requires  that  we  should  avoid  opportunities 
and  temptations. 

"  You  seem  discouraged  at  the  deficiency  of  scholars. 
The  faculty  should  not  despond.  Constancy  is  no  ingre 
dient  in  the  American  character  ;  and,  as  loss  of  time  is 
considered  a  very  little  matter  in  this  country,  your 
scholars  may  drop  in  by-and-by. 

"  Your  letter  is  a  little  desponding.  What  reasons 
can  a  young  man  have  for  melancholy,  unless  they  be  of 
his  own  creation  ?  Occasional  propensity  to  gloom  seems 
to  be  a  family  complaint;  but  this  ought  to~be  counter 
acted  as  early  as  possible.  It  renders  man  unhappy,  and, 
when  strengthened  by  suspicion,  miserable.  Banish  sor 
row,  Jolm,^and  never  brood  over  vain  imaginations. 
Have  courage  and  fortitude.  We  must  move  forward 
without  being  pushed." 

In  1818  he  accepted  the  appointment  of  adjunct-profes 
sor  of  the  English  language  at  Mount  Airy  College,  Ger- 

mantown,  Pa.,  an  institution  established  by  Mons. 

Constant,  and  then  very  prosperous  and  popular.  His 
familiar  letters  to  his  family  at  that  period  show  how 
early  he  learned  to  rely  upon  himself,  and  how  resolutely 
he  was  bent  on  acquiring  an  independent  and  honorable 
position  in  the  world. 

To  his  Father. 

"Philadelphia,  August  13th,  1818. 

"  I  arrived  here  on  Tuesday.  Next  day  I  went,  in 
company  with  Mr.  Goodman,  to  Mount  Airy,  to  see  Mr. 
Constant,  president  of  the  college.  I  found  him  a 
Frenchman  in  every  respect.  The  result  of  our  conver 
sation,  however,  was  an  agreement,  on  my  part,  to  stay 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  31 

a  year  with  him  as  teacher  in  the  English  department 
for  8350,  besides  boarding,  lodging,  washing,  and  fuel. 
I  anticipate,  from  the  regulations  of  the  establishment, 
pretty  tight  times.  I  am  not  afraid,  however,  to  engage 
in  any  thing  for  a  year.  It  will  extend  my  knowledge  of 
the  world,  and  give  me  some  other  good  opportunities 
of  improvement." 

To  his  Brother. 

"Mount  Airy,  November  8th,  1818. 

"My  life  here  is  very  different  from  what  it  was  at 
Ilartwick.  There  I  had  my  sleigh-rides,  my  skating,  my 
picnics,  and  evening  parties  ;  here  my  occupation  is 
study,  and  my  amusement  is  study ;  nor  do  I  regret  it 
much.  I  prefer  my  Spanish  to  any  pleasure.  I  am  use 
fully  employed ;  but  yet  I  recur  with  regret  to  the  charm 
ing  female  society  I  once  enjoyed.  It  seems  to  be  neces 
sary  to  my  happiness  that  I  should  have  some  sweet  ob 
ject  for  my  affections  to  repose  on.  As  I  have  none  here, 
I  can  only  sigh  for  those  I  left  behind  me.  Germantown 
is  famous  for  its  scandal,  not  for  its  sociability.  I  have 
been  but  once  to  Philadelphia.  The  interruption  to  my 
studies  prevents  me  from  going." 

On  the  23d  of  November  his  father  addressed  to  him 
the  following  beautiful  letter : 

From  Ids  Father. 

"  It  gave  me  great  satisfaction,  my  dear  son,  to  see,  in 
your  last,  that  you  are  content  with  your  present  situa 
tion.  It  is  true,  your  task  must  be  tedious  on  account 
of  its  constant  sameness,  and  the  little  mental  employ 
ment  it  affords;  but  Mungo  Park  found  some  heath 
flo \vers  even  on  the  Desert  of  Sahara.  The  social  dep 
rivations  of  which  you  complain,  in  your  letter  to  Hen 
ry,  may,  perhaps,  be  remedied  in  time.  And  even  if  this 
were  not  immediately  the  case,  it  is  profitable  to  learn, 
early  how  to  dispense  with  our  dearest  enjoyments.  I 
am  glad  that  yon  employ  a  chief  part  of  your  time  in 
studying  the  Spanish  language,  and  that  you  have  found 
in  Don  Merino  an  excellent  friend  and  instructor.  The 
Castilian  tongue  deserves  attention,  not  only  on  account 


32  LIFE   AXD   COEEESPOXDENCE   OF 

of  its  sublimity,  but  it  is,  in  the  present  state  of  affairs  of 
our  country  and  the  important  future,  highly  to  be  rec 
ommended  to  young  Americans  who  desire  to  make  a 
figure  in  the  world.* 

"  I  am  happy  to  be  informed  that  President  Constant 
speaks  in  terms  of  great  approbation  and  esteem  of  you. 
It  is  in  the  character  of  Southern  nations  not  to  be  so  stu 
dious  and  persevering  as  the  inhabitants  of  the  North,  and 
on  this  account  the  north  of  Germany  has  produced  more 
learned  works  and  men  than  all  the  Southern  provinces 
together."! 

His  next  letter,  to  a  brother,  manifests  the  predilection 
he  early  formed  for  the  South,  his  cosmopolitan  spirit,  and 
his  punctuality  even  in  pecuniary  trifles.  He  touches 
upon  city  manners,  and  sketches  his  associate  professors. 

To  his  Brother. 

"Mount  Airy,  March  21st,  1819. 

"  Papa  mentions  that  he  has  hopes  of  finding  a  situa 
tion  for  you  in  Charleston.  May  it  be  so.  I  should  be 
particularly  pleased  to  see  you  well  settled  there,  as  I 
know  the  Carolinians  readily  foster  and  promote  deserv 
ing  young  men.  We  have  a  number  from  that  state. 
They  are  liberal,  generous  fellows,  and  charm  me  with 
their  manners. 

"Philadelphia  is,  at  present,  a  dull  place  for  adven 
tures,  and  it  is  no  wonder.  There  are  so  many  young 
men  who  fancy  that  when  they  get  off  the  pavements  of 
the  city  they  are  out  of  the  world,  and  so  many  mer 
chants  live  above  their  means ;  the  counting-houses  are 
overstocked,  and  failures  occur  every  day.  It  is  folly  to 
remain  in  these  parts  when  there  are  such  wide  fields 
open  South  and  West,  where  much  can  be  done  with  lit 
tle  money.  As  soon  as  Congress  breaks  up  I  intend  to 

*  The  venerable  writer  seems  to  have  had  a  presentiment  of  the 
future  career  of  his  son  in  Mexico,  where  his  knowledge  of  the  Span 
ish  language  proved  very  useful  to  himself  and  to  the  public  service. 

f  This  is  amusing.  A  critical  comparison  of  literary  history,  and 
of  intellectual  and  military  achievement  the  world  over,  would  exactly 
reverse  the  worthy  doctor's  position. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  33 

write  to  Col.  Brush,*  and  learn  if  I  can  have  any  encour 
agement  to  go  there,  and  if  so,  I  will  bid  this  place  a  long 
adieu.  Do  not  understand  that  I  am  discontented  with 
my  situation  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  am  every  day  more 
pleased  with  it ;  but  I  want  something  more  than  a  mere 
support,  and  my  duties  here  leave  me  no  time  for  my 
self.  I  am  engaged  in  my  class-room  six  hours  every 
day ;  besides  this,  on  Fridays  I  keep  studies,  that  is,  I 
rise  at  5  A.M.  and  keep  70  boys  at  their  books  for  one 
hour,  and  then  in  the  evening  from  7  to  8.  Every  morn 
ing  (except  Mondays)  I  am  required  to  be  on  duty  at 
0  o'clock,  and  I  retire  at  12  P.M.  My  leisure  moments 
are  spent  chiefly  with  the  teachers.  Mr.  Haslam,  the 
classical  teacher,  is  an  English  Unitarian  minister,  a  sin 
gular,  wavering  character,  fond  of  nothing  so  much  as 
roast  beef  and  plum-pudding,  and  withal  a  great  gallant. 
Mr.  Kaumfout,  teacher  of  mathematics,  a  lieutenant  of 
marines,  is  a  military  martinet  in  every  respect.  Mr. 
Bulkley,  my  colleague,  is  a  poor  sheepish  Yankee,  afraid 
of  a  fly,  and  the  butt  of  all  the  others.  Mr.  Mareno,  a 
Spaniard,  is  a  great  politician,  familiar  with  the  diploma 
cy  of  Europe.  Lastly,  Mr.  Burquese,  a  Frenchman  from 
Bonaparte's  army,  a  very  odd  genius.  Of  such  a  com 
pound  does  this  fraternity  consist.  They  are  all  young 
men,  and  have  many  wild  schemes  ;  but,  upon  the  whole, 
they  are  very  amiable,  and  desire  to  make  my  situation 
agreeable.  I  wish  you  could  be  here  one  week  to  see 
how  I  live. 

"  Papa  has  some  money  of  mine  in  his  hands.  Tell 
him  he  is  welcome  to  the  use  of  it  till  next  fall.  I  wish 
it  was  much  more,  that  I  might,  in  a  measure,  repay  much 
that  he  has  done  for  me.  I  owe  you  a  trifle  on  your  seal, 
which  you  can  receive  from  papa." 

He  was  now  finally  resolved  to  exchange  the  study  of 
divinity  for  law.  For  the  sacred  profession  he  felt  per 
suaded  that  he  had  no  vocation,  and  to  assume  it  merely 

*  Platt  Brush,  a  prominent  lawyer,  and  member  of  Congress  from 
the  Chilicothc  district,  Ohio.  Young  Quitman,  when  a  tutor  at  Hart- 
wick,  had  met  with  him  in  the  mail-coach,  and  had  been  recommend 
ed  by  him  to  cast  his  lot  in  Ohio. 

B  2 


34  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

for  a  livelihood  was  to  do  a  thing  degrading  to  the  call 
ing  and  to  himself.  This  conscientiousness  and  self-ex 
amination  was  a  marked  feature  of  his  character  through 
life.  On  consulting  his  father  he  received  the  following 
qualified  assent : 

From  his  Father. 

"  Rhinebeck,  June  22d,  1819. 

"  The  contents  of  your  letter  did  not  surprise  me.  I 
had  long  anticipated  them.  You  have  arrived  to  years 
of  discretion,  and  ought  to  know  what  is  for  your  own 
good  in  the  choice  of  your  profession.  I  shall  never 
compel  my  children  to  enter  upon  any  occupation  against 
their  own  inclination.  I  am  no  friend  to  the  profession 
Avhich  you  prefer,  because  I  am  too  independent  to  flat 
ter,  or  to  court  popularity  by  improper  means,  with  a 
view  to  be  raised  by  the  people  to  position,  which  in  re 
publics  is  too  often  the  case.  You  have,  however,  my 
consent  and  blessing  to  the  step  which  you  meditate  to 
take,  under  the  full  persuasion  that  you  will  never  deviate 
from  the  principles  of  rectitude  and  honor.  I  would,  nev 
ertheless,  advise  you  to  inform  yourself  perfectly  respect 
ing  the  character  of  the  person  who  has  promised  to  pat 
ronize  you,  before  you  enter  into  any  engagements,  and 
to  be  circumspect  in  the  formation  of  them." 

Soon  after  he  received  the  following : 
From  lion.  Platt  Brush. 

"  In  answer  to  yours,  I  will  say,  the  services  you  can 
render  to  my  sons,  who  are  numerous,  though  young,  I 
should  consider  almost  a  compensation  for  what  your 
circumstances  require,  and  for  the  balance  I  will  be  re 
sponsible.  You  shall  have  your  profession  and  board  for 
the  consideration  of  teaching  a  few  lads  during  the  time 
you  are  studying  in  my  office." 

On  the  1 8th  of  August  following  he  wrote  his  last  let 
ter  from  Mount  Airy : 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  35 

To  his  Brother. 

"  Mount  Airy,  August  18th,  1819. 

"  This  is  probably  the  last  time  I  shall  write  you  from 
this  place.  I  have  received  a  second  letter  from  Mr. 
Brush.  He  wishes  me  to  be  in  Chilicothe  in  October. 
Our  term  will  end  the  last  day  of  this  month.  I  will  pay 
you  a  long  visit  at  Rhinebeck,  and  start  West  in  search 
of  fame  and  fortune.  I  anticipate  much  from  my  visit  to 
you ;  'tis  a  long  time  since  I  have  been  from  home  a 
whole  year.  The  next  time  I  leave,  it  will  be  for  a  longer 
time,  perhaps  forever ! 

"  Your  caution  to  me  concerning  going  to  Ohio  I  have 
reflected  on.  I  generally  look  '  before  I  leap.'  I  think 
there  is  nothing  more  fatal  to  success  than  delay.  Rath 
er  be  a  little  rash  sometimes,  than  suffer  little  circum 
stances  to  rule  you  entirely.  '  Nothing  venture,  nothing 
gain,'  is  an  old,  and,  I  think,  a  very  good  saying." 

The  month  of  September  he  spent  with  the  family  at 
Rhinebeck.  His  parting  with  his  venerable  father  was 
tender  in  the  extreme.  The  stern  old  divine  shed  tears 
as  freely  as  his  boy,  who,  to  the  last  hour  of  his  life,  and 
on  the  battle-fields  of  Mexico,  preserved,  as  a  sort  of 
talisman,  the  written  benediction  of  his  father,  given  to 
him  on  that  occasion,  with  a  lock  of  his  hair : 

"  jtlay  the  God  of  power  and  wisdom  preserve  thee, 
my  son,  sound  in  body  and  mind,  and  his  benevolence 
and  favor  accompany  you  through  a  long  series  of  fu 
ture  years" 

How  literally  and  lavishly  this  prayer  was  vouchsafed, 
will  be  seen  in  the  course  of  this  memoir.  "  The  pray 
ers  of  the  righteous  availeth  much." 

Arriving  in  Philadelphia  early  in  October,  he  wrote  on 
the  19th 

To  his  Brother. 

"I  have  just  bid  farewell  to  Mount  Airy.  Mr.  Con 
stant  has  handed  me  a  credential  very  flattering  indeed. 
Exchanging  my  funds  into  U.  S.  bank-notes  has  caused 


36  LIFE   AND    COKEESPOXDEXCE    OF 

me  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  My  Connecticut  note,  like 
sundry  other  wares  from  that  state,  turned  out  a  counter 
feit.  Yesterday  I  went  to  the  Pittsburg  stage-office,  and 
found  I  should  have  to  pay  17  cts.  per  pound  for  all  bag 
gage  over  14  Ibs.,  and,  as  my  trunk  alone  weighs  120 
Ibs.,  I  could  not  afford  it.  I  went  to  the  agent  of  a  train 
of  transportation-wagons,  and  got  a  receipt  for  its  de 
livery  in  Pittsburg  in  16  days.  This  will  give  me  time 
to  cross  the  mountains  on  foot — a  mode  of  traveling  I 
do  not  shrink  from,  and  which  squares  with  the  state  of 
my  finances." 

And  thus,  with  his  gun  in  hand  and  knapsack  on  his 
back,  he  crossed  the  Alleghanies,  and  thenceforward 
became  identified  with  the  West — the  GKEAT  WEST! 
There  is  magic  in  the  name.  "  We  can  not  fortify  the 
Atlantic  Ocean.  The  utmost  we  can  do  is  to  become 
formidable  to  the  westicard" 

This  is  one  of  the  most  striking  sentiments  ever  ut 
tered  by  an  American  statesman.  It  fell  from  the  pro 
phetic  lips  of  Patrick  Henry,  in  the  Convention  of  Vir 
ginia,  assembled  in  1778,  to  deliberate  on  the  adoption 
of  the  federal  Constitution.  It  embraces,  in  a  few  words, 
not  only  the  creed  of  a  great  party,  but  the  true  solution 
of  our  national  progress.  The  influence  of  the  senti 
ment  may  be  traced  in  all  the  important  movements  of 
our  government.  Washington  conceived  it  during  his 
solitary  expedition  to  the  Ohio,  when  he  planned  the 
union  of  its  waters  with  the  Atlantic.  It  has  been  prac 
tically  carried  out  in  every  treaty  made  with  the  Indians. 
Virginia  and  North  Carolina  had  it  in  view  when  they 
issued  their  military  land-warrants  at  the  close  of  the 
Revolution,  thus  colonizing  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and 
Ohio.  The  persevering  negotiations  of  the  federal  au 
thorities  for  the  right  to  navigate  the  Mississippi,  so  long 
claimed  by  Spain  as  an  exclusive  privilege,  show  that  the 
great  maxim  of  Henry  was  never  lost  sight  of.  Mr.  Jef- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  37 

ferson  had  it  in  view  when,  by  a  master-stroke  of  di 
plomacy,  he  wrested  Louisiana  from  the  miser  gripe  of 
Napoleon.  The  great  expedition  of  Lewis  and  Clarke 
to  the  sources  of  the  Missouri  and  the  mouth  of  the  Co 
lumbia  was  part  and  parcel  of  the  same  policy. 

The  pre-emption  system  of  Andrew  Jackson — a  mark 
ed  and  distinctive  feature  of  the  Democratic  party,  and 
the  most  beneficent  of  its  measures — was  framed  upon 
this  injunction  of  the  inspired  orator  to  make  ourselves 
"  formidable  to  the  westward."  It  is  the  only  true  prin 
ciple  of  successful  colonization,  and  is  peculiar  to  our 
country.  The  immense  land  grants  of  Spain,  the  feudal 
concessions  of  France,  and  the  proprietary  charters  of 
England,  locked  up  whole  territories,  fostered  monopo 
lies,  and  were,  in  theory  and  practice,  more  or  less  de 
fective.  But  the  principle  of  subdividing  the  country 
into  small  tracts,  and  then  conceding  the  first  choice  to 
the  first  occupant — not  rendering  him  a  beneficiary  and 
dependent,  but  offering  a  just  inducement  for  enterprise 
and  labor — has  achieved  miracles  in  the  progress  of  civ 
ilization  and  empire.  Missouri,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Michi 
gan,  the  upper  Territories,  and  the  southwestern  states 
owe  their  unparalleled  strides  to  opulence  and  population 
more  to  this  than  to  any  other  cause.  The  Democratic 
party  early  perceived  its  abstract  justice  and  salutary 
operation,  and  steadily  adhered  to  it,  and  now  it  has  be 
come  the  established  policy  of  the  nation.  The  pre 
emption  system,  insignificant  as  the  hut  and  clearing  of 
the  settler  may  seem,  practically  realizes  the  fable  of 
Midas.  It  turns  every  thing  into  gold.  It  scatters  roses 
over  the  wilderness.  It  invites  the  cross-road  school 
master  and  the  saddle-bags  missionary.  It  has  created 
mighty  states  in  the  dim  and  dusky  West.  It  stocked 
them  with  men  who  were  foremost  in  battle  on  the  frozen 
wastes  of  Canada,  and  who  afterward,  in  the  same  spirit, 


38  LIFE   AND   COKKESPONDEXCE   OP 

crossed  the  Sabine,  and  planted  with  their  hands  and 
baptized  with  their  blood  the  star-gemmed  banner  of  a 
maiden  republic ! 

The  graduation  and  reduction  of  the  price  of  the  pub 
lic  domain  was  the  next  great  step  to  "make  ourselves 
formidable  to  the  westward."  Millions  of  acres,  at  the 
old  minimum,  remained  unsold.  By  the  reduction  every 
man  gets  an  interest  in  the  soil.  The  endearments  of 
home  cluster  around  the  household,  however  humble, 
and  our  citizens  are  bound  by  an  allegiance  of  the  heart 
stronger  than  a  thousand  oaths. 

Oregon,  California,  and  the  achievements  of  the  war  in 
Mexico,  are  illustrations  on  a  grand  scale  of  Patrick 
Henry's  celebrated  maxim,  "  Make  ourselves  formidable 
to  the  westward"  This  is  the  great  American  motto. 
It  should  be  stamped  on  our  national  coinage.  Amid 
the  strife  and  vicissitudes  of  party  it  should  never  be 
forgotten.  Under  its  inspiration  splendid  cities  have 
leaped  up  in  the  frowning  wilderness.  Great  agricul 
tural  communities  occupy  the  haunts  of  the  nomadic 
tribes.  States  have  been  created  more  powerful  than 
the  world  ever  knew  before,  because  they  possess  within 
themselves  all  the  resources  of  subsistence  and  internal 
commerce,  and  are  exempt  from  all  possibility  of  inva 
sion. 

This  vast  empire  of  the  West,  stretching  along  the 
Ohio,  the  Missouri,  and  the  Mississippi,  is,  in  this  point 
of  view,  an  historical  phenomenon.  Its  insulated  posi 
tion  ;  its  vast  distance  from  the  sea,  yet  direct  communi 
cation  therewith ;  its  magnificent  hydrography  of  lakes 
and  rivers ;  and  its  teeming  and  warlike  population,  re 
duplicating  every  half  century,  guarantee  it  against  at 
tack  ;  and  year  after  year,  epoch  after  epoch,  this  process 
of  accumulation  and  development  wTill  go  on,  unchecked 
bv  those  vicissitudes  to  which  most  other  communities 


JOHN   A.  QUIT5IAN.  39 

arc  exposed.  War  will  probably  never  leave  its  red 
footprints  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  or  Missouri.  Whence 
could  the  invader  come  ?  The  most  numerous  army  that 
any  government  in  Europe  could  dispatch  would  perish 
under  the  mere  weight  of  the  physical  power  that  might 
be  concentrated  against  it. 

The  GREAT  WEST  is,  indeed,  the  backbone  of  our 
Union.  It  is  the  citadel  of  our  national  strength.  If 
the  sea-board  states  be  ever  overrun  and  occupied  by 
the  conquering  armies  of  the  Old  World,  in  this  vast  in 
terior  and  unapproachable  empire  we  shall  have  retreat 
and  security.  From  the  everlasting  battlements  of  the 
Alleghanies  and  the  Rocky  Mountains  we  may  defy  their 
power,  and  send  down  living  avalanches  to  expel  them, 
from  our  shores. 

Make  ourselves  formidable  to  the  westward!  The  re 
markable  expeditions  of  Fremont,  and  subsequent  official 
reconnoissances,  opened  new  and  inviting  vistas  into  our 
glorious  future.  The  vast  region  previously  mapped 
down  by  geographers  as  a  repulsive  desert,  has  been  as 
certained  to  be,  for  the  most  part,  adapted  to  agricul 
tural  purposes,  and  the  finest  pastoral  region  in  the 
world.  The  impenetrable  mountains  and  interminable 
wastes  which,  it  was  thought,  interposed  insurmount 
able  barriers  to  our  union  with  the  Pacific,  have  dwin 
dled  away  before  the  wand  of  scientific  and  adventur 
ous  exploration. 

"  Look  to  the  westward,"  said  the  Demosthenes  of 
Virginia.  "  Extend  the  area  of  freedom,"  said  the  dy 
ing  Jackson.  "  Warn  the  committee  of  public  safety  to 
be  on  their  guard,"  were  the  expiring  words  of  Jeffer 
son.  The  great  statesman  dreaded  some  attempt  to  cur 
tail  the  system  of  self-government  which  we  had  put  in 
operation.  Upon  these  maxims  we  have  extended  and 
consolidated  our  national  Union.  Circumscribed  com- 


40  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE*OF 

munities  have  expanded  into  states.  We  have  created 
an  impregnable  centre  of  power  and  supply  to  fall  back 
upon  in  great  emergencies.  We  have  secured  an  im 
mense  interior  empire,  where  art  and  science  may  pur 
sue  their  labors  and  human  nature  reach  the  highest 
point  of  improvement.  IsTo  insolent  Goth  shall  tread 
upon  this  soil,  nor  imperial  conqueror  enrich  his  capital 
with  our  spoils.  From  this  great  laboratory  will  go 
forth  the  torch-bearers  in  every  department  of  human 
learning  and  every  avenue  of  useful  industry.  From 
this  point,  too,  will  be  commissioned  the  missionaries  of 
freedom  to  preach  the  lessons  of  free  government  to  the 
downtrodden  and  oppressed.  Here  LIBERTY  shall  find 
its  permanent  home.  The  GKEAT  WEST  will  be  its  per 
petual  resting-place.  It  may  be  extinguished  in  the 
North  by  an  insane  fanaticism;  it  may  perish  in  the 
South  from  apathy  and  neglect  in  the  enforcement  of 
great  constitutional  rights ;  but  in  the  mighty  valley 
of  the  Mississippi,  under  God's  blessing,  it  will  live  for 
ever  ! 


JOHN   A.  QUmiAN.  41 


CHAPTER  III. 

Keel-boating  on  the  Ohio. — Arrival  at  Chilicothe.—  Family  Let 
ters. — Dr.  Hosack  of  New  York,  or  Young  Physic  and  Old  Physic. 
— Removes  to  the  Village  of  Delaware. — Ohio  forty  Years  since. 
— Admitted  to  the  Bar. — Letter  from  Mrs.  Griffith. — Departs  for 
the  South. 

OF  the  young  adventurer's  voyage  clown  the  Ohio 
there  remains  an  imperfect  diary,  from  which  the  follow 
ing  is  taken : 

Extract  from  Diary. 

"Nov.  2d,  1819.  Reached  Pittsburg  at  night,  none 
the  worse  for  my.  journey;  enjoyed  myself  on  the  road, 
and  had  some  pleasant  flirtations  with  the  girls ;  found 
my  baggage,  or,  as  they  say  here,  "  plunder,"  all  right ; 
river  very  low. 

"4th.  Mr.  Whiting  (a  young  New  Englander,  on  a 
trading  tour,  who  crossed  the  mountains  with  me)  en 
gaged  a  passage  for  us  on  a  keel-boat ;  we  furnish  our 
own  kit,  and  do  our  own  cooking. 

"  5th.  Got  off  at  3  P.M.  Passengers— the  wife*  and 
daughter  of  Judge  Griffith,  of  Burlington,  N.  J. ;  Mr. 
Postlethewaite  and  daughter,  of  Lexington  ;  Dr.  Young, 
Whiting,  and  myself,  and  some  30  in  the  steerage.  The 
accommodations  were  very  rough,  but  the  ladies  made  it 
agreeable.  Miss  G.  played  on  the  flageolet,  I  on  the 
flute.  I  felt  like  poor  Goldsmith  when,  wandering  over 
Europe,  he  fluted  for  his  supper.  Our  fowling-pieces 

*  This  lady  was  the  granddaughter  of  Elias  Boudinot,  LL.D.,  first 
Superintendent  of  the  United  States  Mint,  and  President  of  Princeton 
College.  Her  husband  was  an  eminent  lawyer  of  New  Jersey,  and 
afterward  Clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  This 
casual  meeting  with  Mrs.  G.  on  a  keel-boat,  it  will  be  seen,  was  the 
pivot  on  which  the  young  adventurer's  fortunes  turned. 


42  LIFE   AND    COKKESPOXDEXCE    OF 

supplied  us  with  game;  biscuit  and  jerked  venison  were 
our  stand-bys.  Whiting  and  I  messed  together ;  a  couple 
of  blankets,  furnished  us  a  bed.  At  Wheeling,  Mrs.  and 
Miss  Griffith,  charmed  with  our  mess-table,  became  our 
boarders.  We  laid  in  some  tea  and  loaf-sugar  for  them, 
and,  to  provide  more  game,  we  purchased  a  small  canoe, 
here  called  a  '  dug-out,'  or  '  man-drowner.' 

"  16th.  Lay  by  at  Point  Pleasant,  where  Whiting  and 
I  visited  a  Virginia  '  break-down.'  Saw  for  the  first  time 
what  are  termed  '  steam-boats,'  '  snapping-turtles,'  and 
'  half-horse  half-alligators' — a  formidable  set  of  fellows, 
truly ! 

"18th.  Made  fast  at  night  to  the  Kentucky  shore. 
Nine  cheers  went  up  for  '  Old  Kaintuck,'  and  Whiting 
and  I  had  to  treat  to  'red-eye,'  or  'rot-gut,'  as  whisky  is 
here  called.  They  had  made  us  do  the  same  thing  when 
we  first  tied  to  the  Virginia  shore. 

"On  the  19th  we  landed  at  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  the 
nearest  port  to  my  place  of  destination.  The  captain,  in 
compliment  to  me,  lay  there  all  the  afternoon.  The  cab 
in  passengers  determined  to  spend  the  evening  together 
at  a  hotel.  We  had  a  pleasant  supper,  and  took  a  kind 
leave  of  each  other.  That  night,  when  I  saw  the  keel 
swing  off,  and  looked  around  in  vain  for  a  familiar  face, 
I  indeed  felt  alone  in  the  world.  Next  day,  when  pre 
paring  to  set  out  afoot  for  Chilicothe,  I  fell  in  with  a 
man  who  wished  to  send  a  horse  there.  Showing  him. 
my  '  papers,'  he  intrusted  him  to  me ;  and  I  set  out  with 
a  light  heart,  cheered  by  this  piece  of  good  luck.  It  saved 
me  a  long  tramp.  Deer  were  so  numerous  on  the  way, 
I  shot  one  with  my  pistol  near  Piketown,  and  with  it 
paid  for  my  lodging  and  entertainment.  On  the  22d,  at 
4  P.M.,  I  dismounted  at  an  inn  in  Chilicothe,  and  sung  out 
to  the  astonished  hostler,  'Hie  labor  extremis,  hie  meta 
longarum  viarum.'  Col.  Brush  gave  me  a  cordial  wel 
come.  Our  agreement  is  that  I  am  to  board  in  his  fam 
ily — fuel,  washing,  and  lights — and  have  instruction  in  his 
office,  for  which  I  am  to  teach  him  Spanish  and  his  sons 
the  classics. 

"30th.  I  have  joined  a  society,  composed  chiefly  of 
young  lawyers  (here  called  '  Gougers'),  of  which  Edward 
King,  son  of  the  great  Rufus,  of  New  York,  is  president." 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  43 

This  diary  was  sent  to  liis  brother  William,  a  young 
physician,  recently  settled  in  New  York.  His  reply, 
rather  tart  upon  the  celebrated  Dr.  Ilosack,  will  be  read 
with  interest : 

From  his  Brother. 

"I  parted  from  you  on  the  Battery,  dear  John,  with 
sad  forebodings  for  myself,  but  none  for  you.  You  will 
succeed.  Your  energy  of  character  warrants  your  suc 
cess.  Want  of  energy  is  my  infirmity.*  In  every  part 
of  your  journey,  save  the  tour  on  foot,  I  should  like  to 
have  been  your  compaynon  du  voyage.  I  could  stand 
your  flirtations,  the  lazy  sweep  of  your  boat,  and  even 
your  concerts.  I  could  fight  your  snapping-turtles,  shoot 
turkeys,  eat  your  grub,  and  share  your  blanket,  but  I  can't 
walk.  I  am  glad  you  are  at  your  profession.  Although 
the  business  of  a,  mere  scrivener  must  be  irksome  to  a 
man  of  busy  intellect,  the  study  of  the  principles  of  juris 
prudence  is  exceedingly  interesting,  and  comprehends  all 
that  is  sublime  in  philosophy  and  ethics.  I  have  read 
with  profound  interest  the  works  of  Grotius,  Puifendorf, 
and  Yattel,  Erasmus  and  Machiavelli,  but  statutes  and 
reports  drove  me  from  the  profession.  The  realities  of 
life,  however,  require  us  often  to  tread  an  arid  track. 
You  may  be  called  from  your  sage  meditations  on  the 
social  compact  to  write  a  deed  transferring  a  dirty  acre 
from  Dick  to  Tom,  while  I  may  be  summoned  from  the 
most  intricate  investigations  of  nature  by  the  belly-ache 
of  an  infant  or  the  hysterics  of  an  old  lady.  On  these 
things  depend  our  subsistence,  and  scholars  and  sages 
would  get  along  poorly  without  them.  I  am  doing  quite 
well  for  a  new-comer.  At  a  late  meeting  of  the  faculty, 
I  was  appointed  secretary  and  committee-man,  notwith 
standing  the  inveterate  opposition  of  my  old  boss,  Dr. 
Hosack,  who  vainly  exerted  his  influence  to  defeat  my 
election  to  the  Medical  Society  of  the  city.  He  at  first 

*  Too  true.  This  young  man,  the  most  brilliant  and  fascinating 
of  his  family,  gradually  sunk  into  indolence,  gave  way  to  the  hered 
itary  gloom,  and  died  prematurely;  while  his  brother  John,  with  an 
intellect  substantial  but  not  showy,  owed  his  success  mainly  to  untir 
ing  effort  and  systematic  industry.  "Perseverance"  was  his  motto 
through  life. 


44  LIFE   ASTD   COEEESPOXDEXCE    OF 

wished  me  to  come  into  all  his  views  as  to  the  college. 
Feeling  no  inclinations  to  be  one  of  his  subalterns  to  be 
come  his  pet,  I  bolted.  He  treated  me  with  neglect;  I 
avenged  myself  by  ridiculing  his  theory  of  yellow  fever. 
He  aimed  several  shots  at  me  in  his  lectures ;  I  retorted 
in  essays  before  the  Medico-chirurgical  Society.  He 
warned  his  pupils  against  a  certain  young  physician,  who, 
from  ignorance  and  self-sufficiency,  disputed  the  estab 
lished  dogmas  ;  I  warned  them  against  a  distinguished 
F.  R.  S.  \vhose  classic  lore  was  derived  from  the  transla 
tions  of  his  students,  whose  literary  honors  had  been  pur 
chased  with  money,  and  whose  popularity  and  influence 
might  be  traced  to  a  superb  table  and  a  well-filled  cellar. 
At  9  A.M.  he  lectured  on  the  indespensability  of  nosolog- 
ical  arrangement  in  the  practice  of  medicine ;  at  9  P.M. 
I  proclaimed  to  the  society  that  nosology  was  nonsense, 
and  put  me  in  mind  of  the  burlesque  examination  in  Mo- 
liere's  Malade  Imaginaire.  So  the  squabbles  of  the  pill 
boxes  at  present  stand." 

In  reply,  he  writes  from  Chilicothe,  March  29, 1820  : 

To  his  Brother. 

"  Had  I  not  been  too  much  interested  in  the  success 
of  one  of  the  champions,  I  would  have  been  amused  by 
your  relation  of  the  tournament  of  the  pill-boxes.  Per 
mit  me  to  send  you  a  caveat,  as  we  lawyers  term  it. 
Your  entering  into  a  contest  with  a  man  so  powerful  is 
like  provoking  the  great  beast  of  the  ancient  Sophists. 
You  rouse  him  to  your  certain  destruction.  You  will, 
perhaps,  laugh  at  my  nice  calculations,  or  suspect  me  of 
having  turned  Democrat ;  but  a  diffidence  in  my  own 
abilities,  a  conscious  want  of  talents,  have  given  me  a 
kind  of  cold  prudence  which  I  did  not  possess  by  nature 
more  than  yourself.  A  letter  received  from  brother 
Henry  mentions,  with  much  satisfaction,  the  news  the 
family  receive  of  you.  May  your  endeavors  be  crowned 
with  success.  Had  I  your  gifts  I  would  engage  that,  in 
two  years,  you  would  have  a  governor  for  your  brother, 
and,  most  probably,  in  twenty  years  a  supreme  judge  or 
a  president. 

"  I  was  made  free  as  Caesar ;  so  were  you.     Thanks  to 


JOHN   A.  QUTTMAN.  45 

the  patriots  of  the  Revolution,  they  have  left  us  the  fee 
simple  of  liberty,  an  incorporeal  hereditament  only,  but 
one  I  would  not  exchange  for  a  silver  mine,  for  it  leaves  our 
opinion  free,  and  our  ambition  uncontrolled.  In  a  former 
letter  I  referred  to  my  situation  here,  but  perhaps  it  will 
be  gratifying  to  you  to  hear  something  more.  Virgil 
says  that  '  Fame  stalks  on  the  earth,  and  rears  its  head 
among  the  clouds.'  I  do  not  believe  the  monster  is  so 
bulky  as  he  represents,  or  that  such  is  its  method  of  con 
veying  rumor.  In  my  opinion,  it  travels  in  the  leather 
sack  that  holds  the  mail.  At  all  events,  I  have  no  reason 
to  think  that  my  fame  will  reach  you  unless  I  transmit 
it  myself.  I  rise  early,  and  go  to  bed  late.  The  greater 
part  of  my  time  is  spent  in  close  application  to  law-books. 
Sometimes  I  indulge  in  a  walk  before  sunrise  on  the 
banks  of  the  Sciota,  and  think  of  the  friends  I  have  left 
on  the  Hudson,  and  the  many  girls  I  have  loved.  Some 
times  with  my  gun  I  ramble  through  the  primitive  forest 
that  flanks  the  town  on  the  northwest.  I  visit  the  ancient 
tumuli  that  abound  here,  and, '  fancy  free,'  meditate  on 
the  mysterious  past.  Occasionally — not  as  often  as  I 
wish,  and  as  a  luxury  almost  too  great  for  a  poor  student 
— I  spend  an  evening  with  the  belles  of  Chilicothe. 
They  are  social  and  agreeable.  Thus,  as  it  respects  my 
self,  I  am  free  from  care ;  and,  could  I  but  know  that  my 
brothers  were  all  in  some  good  business,  I  think  I  should 
be  content  with  the  fate  Providence  has  awarded  me.  I 
have  made  several  attempts  to  get  a  situation  for  Henry, 
but  so  far  have  failed. 

"  When  I  compare  myself  with  some  others  here,  I 
think  I  can  become  a  good  lawyer,  at  least,  if  not  an  ad 
vocate.  Should  I  fail,  I  will  find  something  else  to  do. 
Nature  has  endowed  me  with  some  physical  force,  to 
supply  the  deficiency'of  mental  power.  I  think  I  would 
make  a  good  soldier,  or  a  fur  trader  in  the  Rocky  Mount 
ains.  What  think  you  ?  If  I  can  not  trap  clients,  I 
know,  from  experience,  that  I  have  a  genius  for  trapping 
musk-rats.  Besides,  they  consider  me  here  a  crack  shot 
with  a  rifle.  But  enough  of  my  qualifications,  or  I  fear 
you  will  fancy  I  have  wrested  the  trump  from  the  hand 
of  Fame  to  sound  my  own  praise." 


46  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

To  his  Brother. 

"Chilicothe,  May  1st,  1820. 

"For  two  weeks  I  have  been  in  attendance  at  the 
Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  this  county,  and,  with  open 
eyes  and  ears,  have  drawn  a  good  deal  of  information 
from  the  bench  and  bar ;  besides,  Mr.  Brush  gives  me 
the  credit  of  having  suggested  some  very  pertinent  hints 
to  him  in  conducting  his  cases.  I  must  mention  one  in 
dictment  made  by  the  grand  jury.  John  Armstrong, 
blacksmith,  and  Warren  Johnson,  Indian  doctor,  were  in 
dicted  for  maliciously,  feloniously,  and  unlawfully  making 
an  assault  and  battery  on  Platt  Brush  and  John  A.  Quit- 
man  at  the  corner  of  Main  Street  and  Bank  Alley.  They 
plead  guilty,  and  were  fined  accordingly.  I  was  subpe- 
naed  as  a  witness  in  behalf  of  the  state.  I  stated  the  fact 
to  the  court  that,  from  our  office  window,  I  had  seen 
those  two  men  fall  on  Mr.  Brush.  I  ran  to  his  assistance, 
and  they  both  turned  upon  me.  After  an  affray  of  some 
ten  minutes  they  cried,  lustily,  '  Enough !  enough!'  I 
got,  however,  a  black  eye  in  the  conflict.  I  was  sorry 
that  the  prosecuting  attorney  noticed  the  affair  at  all,  and 
that  the  poor  fellows  should  be  fined  after  having  been 
soundly  thrashed.  They  are  very  strict  here  as  to  of 
fenses  against  the  state,  and,  indeed,  it  is  necessary  to 
keep  the  savages  in  order.  A  lawyer's  vocation  in  Ohio 
is  very  laborious.  He  is  obliged  to  attend  the  various 
courts  in  five  or  six  counties,  on  a  circuit  of  some  250 
miles.  The  accommodations  are  exceedingly  rough  ;  the 
inns  are  often  mere  shanties,  crowded  and  filthy  ;  the  fare 
coarse ;  two,  and  even  three,  lodging  in  a  bed  infested 
with  vermin.  By  the  way,  no  one  seems  to  notice  these 
pests.  They  seem  to  be  thoroughly  domesticated,  and 
regarded  in  the  light  of  friends  and  fellow-citizens.  The 
court-houses  on  circuit  often  have  no  fire-places  or  stoves, 
and  the  farmers  have  a  strange  habit  of  leaving  their 
dwellings  unfinished.  For  years  they  will  live  in  a  house 
with  only  half  a  chimney,  and  with  no  shutters  to  doors 
or  Avindows,  a  bit  of  blanket  being  stuck  up  to  exclude 
the  wind. 

"  I  have  a  notion  of  going  to  Natchez  after  I  shall 
have  finished  my  studies,  unless  I  meet  with  good  luck 
here,  such  as  a  partnership  with  my  boss  or  some  other 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  47 

respectable  lawyer.  A  young  man  who  enters  on  the 
great  theatre  of  life  with  no  more  means  than  his  head 
and  hands  supply,  with  no  recommendation  but  an  hon 
est  heart  and  good  principles,  must  expect  to  meet  witli 
many  obstacles  in  working  out  his  career.  The  despond 
ency  he  feels  in  leaving,  far  away,  the  chosen  few  whom 
he  loves  is  but  the  beginning  of  sorrow  and  care.  It  re 
quires  all  the  energy  of  the  soul,  and  constant,  active  em 
ployment  to  sustain  his  spirits,  particularly  if  he  meets, 
as  often  he  will,  with  neglect,  disappointment,  and  in 
gratitude.  Although  I  have  been  specially  favored,  have 
met  with  encouragement,  and  been  received  with  a  wel 
come  into  the  most  respectable  society  wherever  I  have 
lived,  still  I  often  wonder  at  the  wild  ambition  that  in 
duced  me  to  wander  so  far  from  home — to  prefer  honor 
to  happiness,  and  trouble  to  ease  and  obscurity. 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  are  all  well  and  happy,  but  I 
wish  you  were,  somehow  or  other,  comfortably  settled. 
I  have  applied  several  times  at  the  public  offices  here  to 
find  a  vacant  clerkship  or  so,  but  there  are  none.  I  will 
keep  a  bright  look-out  for  you  all.  To  have  even  one  of 
you  settled  near  me,  would  add  much  to  my  happiness. 

"You  remember  the  seal  I  purchased  of  you  for  $G.  I 
have  just  sold  it  and  the  key  for  $13,  and  an  elegant  pair 
of  gloves  thrown  in.  I  have  exchanged  my  pistols  for 
Cruise's  Digest,  a  set  of  invaluable  books. 

"Wheat  brings  here  only  37^  cents  per  bushel,  corn 
20  to  25  cents,  and  other  produce  cheap  in  proportion. 
In  the  villages  board  and  lodging  may  be  had  at  $1  to 
$1  50  per  w^ek." 

From  his  Father. 

"May  20th,  1820. 

"  Thank  you,  dear  John,  for  your  kind  inquiries. 
Thanks  to  God,  I  now  feel  a  little  stronger,  and  look  for 
ward  hopefully  to  warm  weather.  I  am  growing  old, 
and  my  time  will  probably  not  be  long.  Sixty-three 
years  has  been  the  common  climax  of  the  life  of  my  an 
cestors.  I  am  ready  whenever  it  pleases  Providence. 
There  has  been  and  is  great  political  excitement  here. 
Last  Wednesday  there  was  a  great  festival,  music  and 
cannon,  in  honor  of  Clinton's  election.  The  same  is  to 
be  repeated  on  Saturday  at  the  Flats.  What  fools  are 


48  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

men  to  suffer  themselves  to  be  ridden  by  priests  and  gull 
ed  by  demagogues !  A  very  evil  demon  appears  to  pre 
vail  at  present  every  where  among  the  deluded  inhabit 
ants  of  this  world." 

To  his  brother  William. 

"Chilicothe,  June  24th,  1820. 

"  Yesterday,  on  my  return  from  a  grand  wolf  and  deer 
hunt,  I  received  your  long-expected  letter.  My  anxiety 
to  hear  from  you  had  been  increased  by  letters  from 
home  complaining  of  your  silence.  Your  illness,  and  de 
sire  not  to  give  uneasiness  to  any  of  us,  now  accounts  for 
the  negligence  of  which  I  had  accused  you.  It  appears 
to  me,  dear  brother,  that,  for  so  young  a  man,  you  have 
received  your  share  of  the  blows  of  adversity,  and  yet 
you  can  not  blame  Fortune.  Genius  smiled  on  your 
birth,  and  Education  assisted  your  expanding  faculties. 
True,  neither  of  these  can  shield  us  from  sickness,  but, 
prudently  managed,  they  will  keep  poverty  and  care  at 
arm's  length.  I  know  you  are  not  so  womanish  as  to  re 
quire  the  sympathy  of  others,  yet  I  shall  ever  share  in 
your  joys  and  sorrows.  I  approve  much  of  your  desire 
to  get  a  surgeon's  place  in  the  navy.  My  friend,  Col. 
Brush,  has  influence  at  Washington,  and  is  intimate  with 
the  secretary.  He  has  promised  to  write  immediately, 
and  I  will  see  that  he  does  it.  You  must  not,  however, 
in  the  least,  abate  your  exertions  in  rallying  influence 
from  every  quarter.  That  of  Col.  Brush,  as  he  only 
knows  you  through  the  partiality  of  a  brother,  will,  of 
course,  be  defective,  and  must  not  be  your  dependence. 
Write  at  once,  personally,  to  the  secretary,  and  transmit 
all  the  recommendations  you  can  get.  In  such  a  case, 
the  letter  of  Col.  Brush,  coming  from  this  distant  and 
unexpected  quarter,  will  be  like  a  flank  attack,  and  be 
sensibly  felt.  Dispatch  your  part  of  the  business  quick 
ly,  for  Col.  Brush's  letter  will  be  on  the  way  by  the  27th. 
A  brother  of  Col.  B.  has  received  the  appointment  of 
U.  S.  register  for  the  sale  of  public  lands  at  Delaware, 
seventy  miles  north  of  this — a  new  district,  extending 
up  to  Lake  Erie.  He  offers  me  a  clerkship,  and  ample 
time  to  continue  my  professional  reading.  I  will  go.  I 
must  get  away  from  the  fascinating  charms  of  female  so- 


JOHN    A.  QU1TMAN.  49 

ciety.  My  natural  inclinations  waft  mo  too  near  the 
rocks  of  the  sirens.  A  student  must  separate  himself 
from  the  world,  hard  as  the  task  may  be." 

To  his  Sister. 

"  Chilicothc,  June  26th,  1820. 

"  I  am  nor,  my  dear  sister,  so  deeply  engaged  in  study, 
nor  so  much  absorbed  with  my  amusements,  as  to  neglect 
for  a  moment  your  affectionate  letter.  I  know  well 
enough  that  you  and  Eli/a  constantly  think  of  me,  yet  it 
is  flattering  to  one's  self-love  to  have  actual  assurances, 
when  we  feel  that  they  are  sincere.  This  is  specially  the 
case  when  we  arc  among  strangers,  far  from  the  family 
hearth,  and  not  in  such  circumstances  as  secure  the  at 
tention  of  a  selfish  world,  which  seldom  bestows  favors 
unless  there  be  a  prospect  of  some  return.  It  would, 
however,  be  ingratitude  to  Providence  in  me  to  com 
plain  in  this  respect.  Wherever  I  have  sojourned  I  have 
found  warm  friends,  and,  without  the  aid  of  talents  or 
fortune,  have  made  my  way  in  society.  In  Cooperstown 
I  might  ascribe  this  to  my  father's  name;  in  Philadelphia 
to  family  friends ;  but  in  Ohio  I  have  beaten  my  own 
path.  I  started  from  home  with  but  one  hundred  dol 
lars.  I  traveled  one  thousand  miles,  sometimes  on  foot, 
but  as  a  gentleman.  I  dress  as  well  as  any  young  man 
in  town.  I  have  attended  the  balls  and  parties ;  I  have 
not  gambled.  I  owe  no  man  a  cent,  and  I  have  fifty  dol 
lars  in  my  pocket;  and,  what  is  better,  some  prospect  of 
adding  a  little  to  it.  I  shall  leave  Chilicothe  on  the  15th 
of  next  month,  and  during  the  interval  will  seek  the  en 
joyment  of  society  here.  The  fashionable  circle  consists 
of  about  twenty  families.  As  much  etiquette  prevails  as 
I  observed  in  Philadelphia,  and  the  same  hours  for  calls 
and  receptions.  The  ladies  are  gay,  dressy,  sociable,  and 
well-informed.  There  is  quite  a  circle  of  distinguished 
gentlemen,  with  whom  Mr.Ashe,  the  Englishman,  in  his 
recent  book  of  travels,  says  he  dined ;  but  they  all  agree 
that  they  never  knew  Mr.Ashe. 

"  Speaking  of  facetious  travelers,  I  must  not  omit  to 
say  that  the  famous  Capt.  Kiley,  of  Arab  captivity  and 
shipwrecked  celebrity,  resides  here,  and  continues  to  re 
late  some  wonderful  exploits. 

VOL.  L— C 


50  LIFE   AND   COEEESPOXDENCE    OF 

"  I  have  transmitted  letters  to  William  to  promote  his 
views.  Col.  Brush  has  written  warmly  to  the  secretary 
of  the  navy.  To  see  my  brothers  well  settled,  my  sis 
ters  happy,  would  remove  every  care  from  my  heart. 
As  for  myself,  I  have  no  apprehensions.  I  can  get  along 
without  any  assistance  but  the  smile  of  Heaven,  and  that 
I  will  try  to  deserve.  My  sanguine  fancy  anticipates  the 
time  when  I  shall  have  the  happiness  of  affording  an  asy 
lum  to  those  of  my  beloved  family  who  may  require  it. 
If  Fortune  rewards  those  who  deserve  her  favors,  this 
will  never  be  necessary. 

"  Delaware,  where  my  new  residence  is  to  be,  is  a  very 
small  village,  but  in  a  few  years,  such  is  the  progress  of 
population  here,  the  land-office  will  probably  be  removed 
to  Sandusky,  on  Lake  Erie,  and  then,  if  the  grand  canal 
be  completed,  I  can  often  drop  in  to  see  you.  Tell  Hen 
ry  I  will  try  and  get  him  a  situation  in  this  country. 
Ask  him  how  he  looulcl  like  a  captains  commission  in 
the  patriot  army  of  Texas.  Tell  Walter  to  push  on 
with  his  Latin  and  Greek,  and  be  prepared  in  two  years 
to  enter  my  office. 

"Excuse  this  hurried  letter.  I  am  fatigued,  having 
been  diving  all  day  in  the  river  to  recover  the  body  of  a 
poor  boy  who  was  drowned  yesterday." 

To  his  Brother. 

"Delaware,  Ohio,  August  16th,  1820. 

"I  fear  you  only  think  of  me,  dear  brother,  on  a  rainy 
day,  when  there  is  no  business,  no  amusement,  no  com 
pany  to  occupy  your  mind.  It  is  not  thus  with  me.  In 
the  mild  summer  evenings,  when  all  nature  is  tranquil, 
in  my  solitary  walks  I  love  to  think  of  home  and  its  en 
dearments.  Every  clear  day,  every  fine  prospect,  every 
glimpse  of  comfort  reminds  me  of  them.  My  feelings 
are  not  akin  to  home-sickness.  That  boyish  disease  has 
ceased  to  affect  me.  I  came  here  from  choice  to  better 
my  situation,  and  from  choice  I  remain  here.  My  theory 
of  life  is,  let  every  man  follow  up  good  fortune,  whether 
it  leads  him  to  the  thronged  city  or  the  lonely  wilder 
ness.  Happiness  and  friends  may  be  found  every  where. 
I  acknowledge  the  force  of  your  arguments  against  a 
frequent  change  of  residence,  yet  these  changes  often 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  51 

become  necessary.  I  was  much  attached  to  Chilicothe, 
and  had  reason  to  be  so.  The  attention  and  hospitality 
I  there  received,  and  the  friendships  contracted,  were 
more  than  I  had  a  right  to  expect  from  my  humble  cir 
cumstances  and  pretensions,  and  had  I  been  admitted  to 
the  bar  I  should  have  remained  there.  As  it  is,  however, 
perhaps  it  is  better  for  me. 

"This  village  is  on  the  very  edge  of  white  population, 
in  the  district  purchased  from  the  Indians  a  few  years 
since.  This  purchase  embraces  about  eight  thousand 
square  miles.  It  has  been  divided  into  two  land-districts, 
of  one  of  which  (the  eastern)  Mr.  Brush  is  register.  It 
extends  fifty  miles  on  the  base  line,  and  thus  up  to  Mich 
igan  and  Lake  Erie,  including  Sandusky  River  and  a  great 
part  of  the  Miami  of  the  Lakes.  This  vast  tract  will  be 
offered  for  sale,  in  eighty-acre  tracts,  to  the  highest  bid 
der,  and,  if  not  sold,  may  be  entered  at  $1  25  per  acre. 
The  lands  are  of  the  finest  quality,  the  greater  part  of 
them  plains,  with  here  and  there  copses  of  trees  in  them, 
like  islands  in  the  ocean.  Corn,  wheat,  and  grass  attain 
a  luxuriance  almost  fabulous  to  relate.  These  noble 
plains  often  sweep  beyond  the  range  of  the  eye;  here  a 
long  tongue  or  peninsula  of  timber  projecting  into  them 
in  graceful  curves,  there  clumps  of  trees  clustered  togeth 
er  or  standing  at  graceful  intervals,  without  underwood, 
as  though  planted  and  nurtured  by  the  hand  of  art.  The 
timber  consists  chiefly  of  oak,  hickory,  and  black  walnut. 
If  your  present  prospects  are  not  satisfactory,  and  you 
like  a  former's  life,  try  and  get  $400,  and  buy  320  acres 
on  Sandusky  River.  You  can  make  a  fortune  by  raising 
stock  and  corn.  ,  If  you  can  get  no  money,  I  have  an 
other  scheme.  The  sixteenth  section  in  every  township 
is  set  apart  for  schools.  It  may  be  leased  for  thirty-three 
years,  at  seven  per  cent,  upon  the  valuation  of  the  im 
proved  land.  After  the  expiration  of  this  term,  the  les 
see  may  take  two  more  leases  on  the  same  terms,  and 
then  sell  improvements  for  their  apprized  Value." 

To  Frederick  R.  Backus. 

"Delaware,  September  18th,  1820. 

"I  will  stake  everything  on  the  rapid  progress  of  this 
region.  Fort  Croghan  is  the  place  from  which  the  scin- 


52  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

tillations  of  my  genius  shall,  at  some  future  day,  dazzle 
the  aborigines  of  Ohio.  Your  moneyed  men  in  Philadel 
phia  would  make  the  best  speculation  in  the  world  by 
purchasing  lands  here.  This  village  has  now  about  fifty 
well-built  houses.  In  the  vicinity  is  a  mineral  spring 
(called  a  "lick"),  where,  not  many  years  ago,  thousands 
of  buffaloes  resorted.  The  woods  now  abound  with 
deer,  wolves,  and  turkeys,  the  streams  with  geese  and 
ducks. 

u  I  am  not  yet  licensed,  but  I  have  made  several 
speeches  in  court  in  criminal  cases,  and  gained  some  rep 
utation.  They  think  me  a  clever  fellow  and  a  good  Jie- 
piiblican,  because  I  turn  out  to  musters  and  wear  a  straw 
hat  cocked  up  behind !  I  write  a  little,  too,  for  the  Del 
aware  Gazette.  Thus  my  time  passes.  Though  remote 
from  my  relatives,  I  am  not  unfriended  by  the  world. 
'Tis  true,  I  taste  not  the  delights  of  society  or  the  ex 
quisite  pleasures  of  love,  yet  I  hope  I  do  not  live  in  vain. 
With  good  luck,  the  time  will  come  when  I  shall  reap 
the  reward  of  my  labor.  I  left  Chilicothe  with  great  re 
gret,  nor  did  I  know  my  attachment  for  it  until  I  was 
about  to  leave  it.  The  hospitality  and  kindness  I  re 
ceived  there  will  ever  be  gratefully  remembered." 


"Delaware,  November  12th,  1820. 

"DEAR  FATHER, — While  the  snow-storm  is  howling 
without,  and  nobody  within  the  office  to  disturb  my  re 
flections,  I  think  that  an  hour  can  not  be  better  appro 
priated  than  in  writing  to  you.  I  would  have  done  it 
sooner,  I  would  do  it  oftener,  if  I  did  not  know  that  you 
regularly  hear  from  me  through  my  letters  to  the  fam 
ily.  Do  not  think  it  is  negligence,  decay  of  affection,  or 
indolence  that  influences  me.  I  have  feared  that  you 
would  suppose  my  incessant  engagements  in  the  land- 
office,  the  study  of  law,  the  novelty  of  my  associations, 
or  speculations  on  the  sources  of  wealth,  had  blunted  the 
home  feelings  of  my  nature.  Conscious  of  an  unabated, 
nay,  growing  affection  for  you  all,  I  desire,  nevertheless, 
not  to  appear  an  unobservant  traveler  on  the  road  of 
life.  At  this  distance,  and  in  a  new  country,  I  wish  my 
letters  to  contain  something  more  than  reiterated  assur 
ances  of  esteem  and  love. 


JOIIX   A.  QUmiAN.  53 

"  Brother  Albert,  I  perceive,  is  still  disposed  to  try  his 
fortune  at  sea.  If  lie  has  fixed  his  mind  upon  it  and  sees 
no  better  prospects,  I  would  second  his  wishes  as  soon 
as  possible.  lie  has  studied  no  profession,  and  is  there 
fore  right  dn  choosing  some  occupation  in  which  he  may 
gain  an  honest  livelihood.  lie  should  remember,  how 
ever,  that  the  only  path  to  promotion  in  that  pursuit  is 
the  knowledge  of  mathematics,  navigation,  and  geogra 
phy.  Your  influence,  and  the  many  favors  you  have  ren 
dered  to  men  now  flourishing  in  the  world,  should  en 
able  you  to  procure  situations  for  both  Henry  and  Albert. 
Are  you  repaid  with  the  proverbial  ingratitude  of  pros 
perity  ? 

"  Col.  Brush  tells  me  that,  of  the  many  men  whom  his 
father  assisted  in  better  days,  but  one  has  ever  befriend 
ed  him.  With  the  exception  of  this  gentleman,  my  for 
tune  has  been  the  same.  From  strangers  to  me  and  to 
my  family,  I  have  received  the  most  attention.  I  trust, 
however,  this  will  never  be  used  as  an  argument  on  which 
to  predicate  doctrines  opposed  to  benevolence.  I  am 
grateful  for  the  interest  Mr.  Wackerhagen  takes  in  my 
welfare.*  I  know  not  whether  to  say  I  feel  most  grati* 
tnde  for  his  solicitude  at  the  present  day,  or  for  the  care 
and  attention  he  bestowed  on  my  early  years.  I  know 
not  a  man  in  the  world  whom  I  esteem  more,  and  I  am 
happy  that  the  old  age  of  my  father  is  blessed  with  the 
society  of  such  a  friend. 

"  The  climate  of  this  country  is  very  unsteady.  Two 
days  ago  we  had  warm  smoky  weather  ;  now  the  ground 
is  covered  with  snow.  A\re  arc  in  the  latitude  of  the 
city  of  Xew  York.  Owing,  I  suppose,  to  the  excessive 
drought,  the  lowness  of  the  waters,  and  the  tranquillity 
of  the  atmosphere,  the  autumn  has  been  very  unhealthy. 
A  low,  nervous,  or  typhoid  fever,  prevailed  all  over  the 
West,  frequently  fatal.  I  have  lost  three  of  the  first 
friends  I  made  in  Ohio,  all  young  men  in  the  bloom  of 
life.  One  died  in  Xew  Orleans^one  in  this  place,  and 
one,  Mr.  Grier,  a  young  lawyer,  at  Kingston,  in  your  vi 
cinity,  several  months  after  he  left  Chilicothe. 

*  His  first  instructor,  with  whom  he  resided  some  years  at  Scho- 
haric. 


54  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

"  When  I  consider,  however,  how  the  majority  of  the 
working  classes  here  live,  I  do  not  wonder  at  their  sick 
ness.  A  Dutchess  County  fanner  would  consider  it  cer 
tain  death  to  spend  twenty-four  hours  as  they  do  whole 
years  here.  With  prudence  and  temperance,  I  consider 
this  climate  as  healthy  as  any. 

"  I  have  now  been  in  this  state  a  year.  Twelve  months 
more  of  hard  study,  and  I  will  be  prepared  for  admission 
to  the  bar.  What  measure  of  success  I  may  have,  I 
know  not.  The  pressure  of  the  times,  and  the  scarcity 
of  money,  will  not  permit  me  to  flatter  myself  with  bril 
liant  prospects.  Yet  I  trust  I  have  a  sufficient  store  of 
energy  and  perseverance  to  overcome  all  difficulties.  I 
will  spare  no  pains  to  perfect  myself  in  my  profession, 
and  to  deserve  the  confidence  of  my  clients,  and  leave  the 
rest  to  Providence." 

"Delaware,  Dec.  10th,  1820. 

"MY  DEAR  BROTHER, — Your  last  letter  did  indeed 
surprise  me.  Poor  Albert  is  really,  at  this  moment,  plow 
ing  the  southern  seas.  May  Heaven  smile  upon  him ! 
May  "the  angel  that  sits  up  aloft"  guard  the  life  of 
"  poor  Jack !"  Most  heartily  do  I  pray  with  you,  that 
"  he  may  return  a  good  sailor  and  a  prosperous  man." 
In  every  letter  that  I  received  from  him,  I  could  see  his 
desire  daily  increase  to  tempt  the  boisterous  billows.  I 
am  pleased  that  he  has  found  so  good  an  opportunity  to 
test  this  darling  inclination.  I  know  not  how  it  is,  now 
more  than  ever  affection  for  the  beloved  playmate  of 
my  childhood  glows  in  my  heart,  and  brings  apprehen 
sion  and  shadows  along  with  it.  Many  past  scenes  re 
vive  in  my  memory.  I  fancy  that  I  see  the  little  fellow 
trotting  behind  us,  when  AVC  went  gunning,  with  a  game- 
bag  upon  his  shoulder,  or,  at  my  side,  going  to  look  at 
the  musk-rat  traps  in  the  morning,  or  tugging  at  the  oar 
in  Otsego  Lake,  until  the  big  drops  rolled  down  his 
cheeks.  When  you  sailed  for  the  West  Indies,  my  feel 
ings  were  somewhat  the  same,  yet  I  had  greater  confi 
dence  in  your  experience.  You  had  tried  the  world  be 
fore,  and  learned  to  take  care  of  yourself.  Besides,  you 
were  going  among  friends,  whose  sympathy  and  assist 
ance  would  cheer  and  comfort  you.  I  doubt  not,  how- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  55 

ever,  that  Ap's  conduct  and  noble  disposition  will  soon 
make  all  his  comrades  his  friends.  When  I  consider,  too, 
that  we  must  all,  sooner  or  later,  act  for  ourselves  in  the 
world,  I  am  well  satisfied  with  this  enterprise  of  his. 
Like  myself,  he  has  little  to  lose,  and  every  thing  to  gain. 
Providence  has  thought  fit  to  leave  the  making  of  our 
fortunes  to  ourselves.  It  is,  therefore,  necessary  that  we 
should  make  some  boldpush,  and,  if  we  are  disappointed, 
whistle  it  off  and  try  it  again.  A  few  years  ago,  one 
roof  sheltered  all  our  family ;  now  we  are  scattered  as 
though  the  winds  had  done  it. 

"Give  me  all  the  news  you  get  of  the  vessel  in  which 
our  brother  Albert  sailed.  Ship  news  never  penetrates 
this  deep  interior. 

"  I  am  very  busy  here.  Mr.  Brush  is  mostly  absent 
on  circuit;  the  duties  of  the  land-office  fall  upon  me,  and 
my  studies  consume  all  my  leisure.  I  have  just  returned 
from  a  trip  to  Portland  on  Sandusky  Bay,  100  miles  from 
this  place.  I  have  now  traversed  the  whole  length  of 
the  state  from  north  to  south,  and  for  the  quality  of  the 
soil,  the  size  of  the  timber,  the  luxuriance  of  vegetation, 
in  short,  for  every  feature  that  constitutes  a  rich  farming 
country,  it  is  not  to  be  surpassed.  As  I  rode  over  the 
undulating  plains,  the  islands  of  timber,  the  trooping 
deer,  the  prairie-fowl,  the  wild  flowers  that  gemmed  the 
path,  the  serene  and  cloudless  sky,  made  an  enchanting 
scene.  The  trees  stood  so  artistically — here  and  there 
the  curling  smoke  of  the  Indian  hunter  wreathing  around 
their  heads — that  I  almost  looked  for  the  mansion  they 
were  destined  to  adorn.  All  these  are  United  States' 
lands.  The  method  of  purchasing,  or  entering  them,  is 
thus :  they  are  surveyed  and  offered  for  sale  by  procla 
mation  of  the  President  to  the  highest  bidder.  If  not 
sold,  the  applicant  comes  to  the  office,  examines  the  map 
of  survey  on  which  all  the  lands  are  numbered,  makes 
his  selection,  pays  $1  25  per  acre  to  the  receiver,  and 
gets  two  receipts — one  of  these  he  delivers  to  us  (the 
register),  the  other  he  keeps.  These  receipts  are  record 
ed,  and  at  the  end  of  every  month  we  transmit  them  to 
the  General  Land-office  at  Washington,  and  receive,  in 
due  time,  patents,  signed  by  the  President,  to  be  deliv 
ered  to  the  purchaser. 


56  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

"You  ask  what  farmers  here  do  with  their  produce. 
In  this  part  of  the  state,  as  yet,  there  is  no  regular  mark 
et.  Grain  is  usually  converted  into  flour,  whisky,  or 
stock,  and  sent  to  New  Orleans,  Detroit,  or  Canada. 
The  current  price  of  pork  is  $2  50  per  cwt. ;  wheat  40 
cents  per  bushel ;  corn  25  cents :  but  they  will  not  com 
mand  cash  even  at  these  prices.  A  farmer  here  can 
raise  twenty  hogs  with  no  more  cost  than  a  Dutchess 
County  farmer  incurs  for  one.  In  this  section,  and  in 
these  times,  agriculture  is  not  a  short  road  to  wealth ; 
but  if  it  can  any  where  make  a  man  independent,  it  will 
in  this  district.  After  the  grand  New  York  Canal  shall 
be  opened,  the  produce  of  this  section  will  seek  that 
market,  and  the  rise  of  property  will  be  rapid.  If  a  man 
has  plenty  of  money,  he  can  not  do  better  than  by  invest 
ing  it  in  lands  here  and  waiting  for  their  appreciation ; 
and  the  small  farmers  of  your  state  would  do  well  to 
sell  out  and  remove  hither.  If  one  goes  in  for  comfort 
altogether  this  is  not  the  country  to  find  it.  This  is  not 
the  place  for  a  wealthy  man  to  enjoy  life;  it  is  too 
democratic. 

"  I  rather  hope,  dear  brother,  you  may  be  able  to  get 
some  good  situation  near  home.  We  should  not  all 
desert  papa  in  his  old  age. 

"I  have  just  received  a  ticket  to  a  New  Year's  ball. 
This  reminds  me  of  the  day.  May  you  all  spend  it  hap 
pily,  and  I  will  drink  a  glass  '  to  him  that's  on  the  sea.'  " 

To  his  Brother. 

"Delaware,  February  23d,  1821. 

"Rhinebeck,  you  tell  me,  dear  brother,  is  the  same 
quiet  place  as  formerly.  Its  tranquil  shades  suit  the  se 
renity  of  age,  and  I  trust  our  father's  years  may  be 
peaceful  and  undisturbed.  I  trust  you  have  all  learned 
to  seek  for  happiness  where  alone  it  is  to  be  found — in 
your  own  bosoms.  Those  who  depend  upon  extraneous 
circumstances,  the  charms  of  society,  the  resources  of 
opulence,  or  the  state  of  the  weather,  are  liable  to  be 
disappointed  by  the  occurrences  of  each  succeeding  day. 
It  is  a  source  of  great  sorrow  to  me  that  William  has  so 
wholly  given  up  to  the  indulgence  of  an  idle  disposition. 
Do  your  best  to  rouse  him  from  it.  Tell  him  that,  if  he 


JOHN    A.   QTJITMAN.  57 

would  yet  exert  his  energies  and  be  a  man,  lie  may  gain 
all  that  he  has  lost.  I  can  not  conceive  how  his  sober 
reflection  can  countenance  his  present  torpor.  For  my 
part,  I  would  '  rather  be  a  dog  and  bay  the  moon' — even 
a  drayman's  hack — than  be  a  sluggard.  If  I  had  his  tal 
ents  I  would  accomplish  every  thing  worthy  of  human 
cflbrt.  Far  inferior  to  him,  I  mean  to  accomplish  much 
by  honest  perseverance.  We  can  not  yet  expect  to  have 
news  of  Albert.  Every  morning  when  I  awake  my  eyes 
turn  involuntarily  to  a  map  of  the  world  that  hangs  near 
my  bed,  and  I  wonder  on  what  sea  he  is  now  trying  his 
adventurous  fortunes.  Shut  up  as  I  am  in  an  interior 
country,  I  can  not  but  envy  him  bounding  over  the  free 
and  ever-rolling  waters ;  and  then,  like  liasselas,  I  feel 
that  I  am  indeed  a  prisoner. 

"I  am  not,  as  you  suppose,  even  at  this  distance,  a 
stranger  to  your  New  York  politics.  We  take  the  Amer 
ican,  the  most  violent  of  the  Bucktail  papers.  I  perceive 
that  your  ambitious  colts  about  Rhincbeck,  such  as  Liv 
ingston  and  Shufeldt,  who  are  aiming  at  popularity,  are 
Bucktails.  Pray,  what  are  you  ?  I  am,  I  fear,  a  decided 
Swiss. 

"  Our  winter  has  not  been  severe,  though  the  ther 
mometer  was  as  low  as  18°  below  0.  Spring  has  now 
set  in.  Great  quantities  of  maple-sugar  are  made  in  this 
section.  Sugar,  wax,  honey,  tallow,  hides,  furs,  and  linen, 
are  the  only  domestic  articles  our  merchants  will  take 
for  goods.  Money  is  very  scarce  among  all  classes,  and 
it  would  be  still  scarcer  if  the  cunning  Yankees  among 
us  did  not  contrive  to  clutch  the  greater  part  of  the  an 
nual  stipend  that  the  Wyandots  and  Scnccas  draw  from 
government.  Ohio  is  not  all  Yankee,  but  those  that  are 
here  are  the  shrewdest  of  all  the  race,  and  could  return 
to  Connecticut  and  make  fortunes  by  skinning  whet 
stones.  If  I  can  not  say  of  them  nulluni  tctigit  quod 
non  ornavit,  I  can  say  that  every  thing  they  touch  turns 
into  gold.  The  farther  they  travel,  the  shrewder  they 
become.  Some  of  them  arc  so  sharp  their  very  counte 
nances  seem  to  be  whittled  and  ground  down  to  the 
point  of  a  needle.  Others  study  an  obtuse  look  and  a 
stupid  manner ;  but  look  close,  and  you  will  detect  the 
proverbial  keenness  lurking  about  the  mouth,  and  twink- 
C  2 


58  LIFE   AND   COKKESPOXDEXCE   OF 

ling  slyly  and  mischievously  in  the  eyes.  Their  perse 
verance  under  difficulties,  their  dogged  resolution,  their 
versatility,  their  confidence  in  themselves  and  in  the 
"  universal  Yankee  nation,"  atone  for  a  multitude  of 
minor  sins.  You  ask,  Yankee-like,  whether  a  speculation 
could  not  be  made  in  furs  ?  I  don't  think  it  would  pay  to 
turn  trapper  or  trader  in  skins.  I  have  never  known  a 
hunter  to  become  rich.  As  for  trading,  the  Indians  have 
become  so  accustomed  to  high  prices,  they  do  not  know 
how  to  fall  with  the  times. 

"  This  is  not  so  insignificant  a  village  as  you  fancy  it 
is.  We  have  a  singing-school,  a  boxing  and  fencing 
school,  a  debating  society,  and  a  masonic  lodge,  and  par 
ties  very  often.  Most  of  our  citizens  have  been  in  the 
army,  and  know  something  of  the  world.  The  land-of 
fice  brings  people  here  from  every  quarter  and  of  every 
grade.  The  Normans  used  to  be  called  the  land  robbers 
of  Europe,  but  in  this  country  all  classes  share  the  pas 
sion  for  land.  I  keep  close  in  my  office,  and  seldom  in 
terfere  in  public  concerns,  unless  specially  called  on.  I 
have  found  this  to  be  the  best  method  of  acquiring  and 
retaining  popularity,  at  least  for  a  fellow  of  moderate 
abilities ;  he  should,  like  the  great  Mogul  of  Tartary, 
show  himself  but  seldom,  and  then  look  very  wise  and 
solemn ! 

"I  can  not  help  noticing  a  blunder  our  wise  Legisla 
ture  made  last  winter.  They  are  in  the  habit  of  enact 
ing  and  changing  laws  every  session,  designating  the 
time  of  holding  courts,  etc.  On  the  2d  instant,  the  day 
before  their  adjournment,  they  passed  a  law  repealing 
all  other  statutes  on  the  subject,  and  enacting  that  the 
present  lawr  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force  from  and 
after  the  first  day  of  February  next.  It  is  contended 
that,  under  this  law,  no  courts  can  be  held  this  year.  It 
has  been  referred  to  the  Supreme  Court.  If  it  grants 
no  relief,  the  Legislature  must  be  convened,  or  wre  law 
yers  must  starve.  You  ask  when  I  think  of  making  a 
visit  home  ?  Not,  I  assure,  till  I  am  admitted  to  the 
bar,  and  probably  not  for  a  long  time  thereafter.  Inde 
pendence  and  fame  first,  and  then  home." 


JOHN   A.  QUmiAN.  59 

To  F.  R.  Backus. 

"Delaware,  Feb.  28th,  1821. 

"I  have  been  very  fortunate,  dear  Backus,  since  I 
came  to  Ohio,  and  have  even  been  more  prosperous  than 
I  merit.  I  am  now  nearly  through  with  my  legal  studies, 
and  must  search  around  for  a  location.  My  eyes  are 
turned  toward  the  setting  sun.  I  have  an  opportunity, 
by  staying  here,  of  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Brush ;  but, 
if  I  adopt  this  plan,  a  decent  support  and  a  career  of 
mediocrity  are  all  I  can  expect.  In  this  section  it  is  easy 
to  make  any  kind  of  property  but  money.  There  is 
scarcely  money  enough  among  our  farmers  to  give  their 
babies  to  cut  their  first  teeth  with.  Every  thing  they 
buy  is  paid  for  with  produce ;  consequently,  it  is  no  place 
for  lawyers  or  mechanics.  It  is  so  all  over  Ohio,  owing 
to  the  pressure  of  the  times  and  to  the  relief  laws,  mak 
ing  it  impossible  to  collect  debts.  I  think,  therefore,  of 
Alabama  or  Mississippi.  Money  is  there  more  plenty; 
trade  is  brisk  ;  their  cotton  commands  cash.  The  bar  is 
not  overcrowded  with  well-read  lawyers,  and  fees  are 
high.  It  is  bad  policy  for  a  young  man  to  move  about, 
but  much  depends  on  the  location  we  make  when  we 
first  set  out  in  life. 

"  You  dazzle  me  with  your  account  of  the  holidays  in 
Philadelphia.  Ours  were  more  primitive,  but  we  had 
our  ball  and  our  kissing-parties.  It  is  now  twelve  at 
night.  You  are  perhaps  just  returning  from  your  stew 
ed  terrapins,  your  chicken  salad,  your  confectionery  and 
ices ;  on  my  table  stands  a  small  pyramid  of  maple-sugar, 
our  only  luxury,  a  present  from  one  of  our  neighboring 
belles.  Your  dressy  dolls  of  Chestnut  Street  are  wash 
ing  off  their  rouge,  to  wake  up  pale  and  nervous  in  the 
morning,  while  my  Ohio  belle  sleeps  with  her  roses,  and 
rises  with  them,  blooming  and  fragrant,  on  her  cheeks. 

"  Pray  tell  your  lazy  city  astronomers  that  I  discover 
ed  a  comet  last  night.  Let  them  brush  up  their  cob- 
webbed  telescopes  and  look  due  west  about  7  o'clock 
P.M.,  14  degrees  above  the  horizon." 

To  his  Father. 

"Delaware,  May  7th,  1821. 
"I  hope,  my  dear  father,  that,  with  the  return  of  spring, 


00  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

you  have  recovered  full  health  and  vigor.  I  know  that 
the  winter,  particularly  the  last,  must  be  disagreeable 
and  dreary  to  one  who  has  spent  the  most  happy  seasons 
of  his  life  in  a  climate  where  eternal  spring  prevails ; 
yet  the  return  of  our  glorious  summer  compensates  for 
the  inclemencies  we  have  endured.  In  winter,  too,  men 
tal  trials  and  depression  of  spirits  are  apt  to  annoy  us 
more,  and,  in  spite  of  philosophy  or  religion,  we  too 
often  despond.  All  this  is  dissipated  by  the  bloom  of 
the  year. 

"I  am  pained  to  hear  that  William  continues  to  idle 
away  his  time.  If  he  would  rouse  himself  at  once,  he 
might  yet  recover  the  past.  Do  urge  him  to  remove  at 
once  to  Mississippi  or  Alabama.  I  will  vouch  for  his 
success,  not  only  in  acquiring  position,  but,  by  industry 
and  prudence,  a  large  fortune.  From  the  papers  I  per 
ceive  that  our  whalers  in  the  South  Seas  have  met  with 
unparalleled  success.  This  argues  favorably  for  dear 
Albert, 

"  I  have  now  been  in  Ohio  eighteen  months,  have  near 
ly  completed  my  studies,  and  have  formed  a  very  ex 
tensive  acquaintance.  When  I  first  came  to  this  place, 
the  prospects  for  business  appeared  so  flattering  that  I 
extended  my  views  no  farther,  and  expected  to  remain 
here.  Since  then  I  have  had  ample  opportunities  of 
learning  more.  This  is  a  flourishing  part  of  the  state, 
rapidly  increasing  in  population,  but  the  people  are  poor, 
and  money,  the  life  of  a  professional  rnan,  is  very  scarce. 
The  little  that  there  is  is  drained  off  by  the  merchants  and 
the  land-office.  In  fifteen  or  twenty  years,  I  doubt  not, 
ease  and  plenty  will  be  found  here,  but  the  prospect  is 
too  remote  and  slow  for  me.  I  have  determined,  there 
fore,  to  look  elsewhere  for  an  abode,  being  sensible  of 
the  great  advantage  to  a  young  man  to  make  a  good 
choice  first,  and  then  settle  down  permanently.  I  think 
I  might  in  time  expect  here  the  honors  which  are  in  the 
gift  of  the  people,  but  they  are  not  profitable ;  indeed, 
they  are  injurious  to  a  poor  man  who  seeks  eminence  in 
his  profession.  The  Southern  States  hold  out  golden 
prospects  to  men  of  integrity,  application,  and  good  ac 
quirements.  Money  is  there  as  plenty  as  it  is  scarce 
here,  and  a  good  reason  for  it;  for  while  not  a  siogle 


JOIIN   A.  QUITMAX.  Gl 

article  of  our  produce  will  command  cash,  their  cotton, 
sugar,  tobacco,  and  rice  are  always  in  demand,  and  the 
world  will  not  do  without  them.  They  have,  besides, 
facilities  for  transportation  and  avenues  to  market  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year ;  and  as  to  the  climate,  balancing  all 
things,  it  is  quite  as  healthy  as  this.  My  design  is  to  re 
main  here  until  I  am  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  then  go  to 
Natchez  or  to  St.  Stephen's.  I  even  think  a  Avarmer  cli 
mate  will  lengthen  my  life.  The  consumption  here  de 
stroys  more  than  all  the  various  diseases  at  the  South. 
Dissipation  there  is  the  great  source  of  mortality.  The 
only  thing  that  chills  my  expectations  is  the  want  of  a 
little  money  to  convey  me  there  and  set  me  up.  I  could 
do  sufficient  business  here  to  earn  it,  but  my  fees  would 
be  paid  in  corn,  or  wheat,  or  pork,  or  land,  and  none  of 
these  can  be  converted  into  cash.  The  move,  however, 
will  not  cost  much.  With  the  little  I  have,  I  must  try 
and  borrow  a  little  more,  and  rely  on  that  good  fortune 
which  has  accompanied  me  ever  since  I  left  your  roof. 
I  have  full  confidence  in  making  enough  after  I  once  take 
a  start.  At  all  events  I  will  try." 

To  his  Brother. 

"Delaware,  June  10th,  1821. 

"  You  complain,  dear  brother,  of  the  brevity  of  my  let 
ters.  I  believe  the  study  of  the  law  makes  one's  mind 
logical,  but  not  inventive  ;  it  is  therefore  necessary  that 
I  should  have  facts  to  reason  upon,  or  I  am  at  a  loss 
what  to  write  about.  I  have  determined  to  go  South, 
where,  at  least,  more  than  a  fourth  part  of  the  year  may 
be  enjoyed.  The  wintry  rigor  here  is  intolerable  to  me. 
I  agree  with  you  that,  in  general,  it  is  best  for  a  young 
man  of  no  fortune,  when  he  starts  out  in  the  world,  to 
circumscribe  his  views,  and  not  suifer  himself  to  fall  into 
a  wandering,  restless  habit.  It  is,  therefore,  the  more 
necessary  that  he  should  weigh  every  thing  well  before 
he  makes  his  choice.  Afterward  he  should  allow  no 
trifling  disappointments,  mortifications,  or  even  depriva 
tions,  to  aifcct  him,  but  persevere  and  hang  on,  come 
weal  or  woe.  I  mean  to  live  by  the  practice  of  law, 
not  by  clerking  in  a  land-office.  After  considering  well, 
I  think  prudence  and  good  sense  recommend  my  going 


62  LIFE    AND   COEEESPONDENCE    OF 

South.  As  you  request  it,  I  will  enlarge  upon  the  sub 
ject  ;  and  then  give  your  opinion.  I  will  not  commence 
by  dividing  my  subject,  as  Stephen  Burrows  did  his  ser 
mon,  into  seven  heads  and  ten  horns ;  but,  by  way  of 
preamble,  will  recall  to  your  mind  my  floating  down  the 
Ohio  on  a  keel-boat,  in  company  with  the  wife  and 
daughter  of  Judge  Griffith,  of  New  Jersey,  who  were  on 
their  way  to  Natchez,  to  visit  her  sons,  both  eminent 
lawyers.  Mrs.  Griffith,  who  is  a  lady  of  great  accomplish 
ments  and  good  sense,  advised  me  to  select  Mississippi 
instead  of  Ohio,  spoke  of  the  success  of  her  sons,  and 
promised  me  their  friendly  encouragement.  A  short 
time  before  her  return  to  New  Jersey,  in  April  last,  she 
honored  me  with  a  letter,  from  which  I  now  quote : 

"  '  You  express  something  like  an  intention  of  remov 
ing  to  this  country.  I  am  able  to  give  you  the  informa 
tion  you  desire,  but  I  can  not  incur  the  responsibility  of 
advising  you  one  way  or  the  other.  The  advantages  and 
disadvantages  of  a  residence  in  this  country  are  so  equal 
ly  balanced  that  I  can  do  nothing  more  than  state  them. 
An  attorney  from  other  states  is  not  obliged  to  wait  for 
any  thing  but  an  examination ;  he  can  be  licensed  im 
mediately.  It  is  an  excellent  place  to  make  money. 
There  is  a  good  opening  here  for  men  of  talents.  Men 
of  that  description  are  much  wanted,  and  the  general 
profligacy  and  idleness  that  prevail  render  young  men 
of  talents,  morality,  and  application  to  business,  objects 
of  public  confidence  and  esteem.  Society  is  improving 
every  year.  It  is  not  very  refined,  and  by  no  means  lit 
erary,  but  gay  and  fashionable.  In  winter  Natchez  af 
fords  much  amusement ;  in  summer  it  is  almost  deserted. 
I  must  now,  in  justice,  present  the  reverse  of  the  picture. 
If  you  come  here,  come  prepared  to  strike  the  word  com 
fort  out  of  your  vocabulary,  during  the  summer  months 
at  least.  You  must  be  either  sufficiently  romantic  to 
despise  it,  or  stoical  enough  not  to  sigh  for  it ;  though 
my  stoicism,  on  which  I  plume  myself,  soon  foiled  before 
the  combined  attacks  of  heat  and  musquitoes,  which  last 
constitute  the  greatest  annoyance  of  the  two.  Then 
there  is  the  sickly  climate  and  the  depravity  of  morals. 
I  should  severely  reproach  myself  if,  by  my  advice,  you 
should  come  here  and  fall  a  prey  to  either  of  them.  By 


JOHN   A.  QUmiAN.  63 


prudence  and  self-denial  one  may,  perhaps,  live  as  long 
and  as  innocently  here  as  in  any  other  country.  Mary 
and  myself  have  not  had  a  day's  illness  here.  My  eldest 
son  has  resided  here  four  years  without  suffering.  The 
great  mortality  may  be  traced  to  imprudence,  exposure, 
and  high  living.  Although  it  would  give  me  pleasure  to 
see  you  the  friend  and  companion  of  my  sons,  and  although 
I  feel  assured  that  you  would  succeed,  and  soon  become 
pleased  with  this  country,  yet  it  requires,  on  your  part, 
mature  consideration,  unless  you  are  disposed  to  sacrifice 
every  thing  for  fame  and  fortune.  For  a  few  years,  at 
least,  you  will  experience  much  to  dissatisfy  you  with 
your  residence,  until  competence  enables  you  to  enjoy 
its  pleasures.  Should  you  decide  to  come  you  will  re 
ceive  a  cordial  welcome  from  our  family,  to  whom  you 
will  not  altogether  be  a  stranger.  I  will  furnish  you 
with  letters  to  my  sons,  which  will  be  an  introduction  to 
every  body  else.' 

"  Mrs.  Griffith  has  dwelt  longer  on  the  disadvantages 
of  the  country,  not  desiring  me  to  be  disappointed.  But 
after  all,  her  objections  arc  nothing.  Hot  weather  and 
musquitoes  would  not  deter  me  even  from  a  hunting  ex 
pedition;  and  as  to  depravity,  by  which  she  means  dissi 
pation,  I  trust  my  morals  and  sense  of  propriety  are  suf 
ficiently  fixed.  What  a  story  it  would  be  to  tell  a  sailor 
brother,  now  buffeting  with  fortune  on  the  angry  waves, 
that  such  trivial  obstacles  influenced  me  !  The  climate 
itself  is  as  healthy  as  this.  Mistaken  ideas  of  what  con 
stitutes  pleasure  lead  many  into  dissipation,  which,  in 
warm  countries,  soon  shuffles  them  off.  Many  young 
men  who  go  South  grow  careless  on  account  of  the  fa 
cility  of  making  money,  and  plunge  into  every  kind  of 
excess.  Young  men  born  there  to  hereditary  wealth, 
who  have  never  felt  what  it  is  to  want,  set  them  the  ex 
ample.  My  ambition  is  of  a  more  exalted  nature.  I  am 
prepared  to  make  sacrifices  if  I  had  any  thing  to  sacri 
fice,  but  they  shall  be  for  fame  and  fortune,  not  for  empty 
and  evanescent  pleasures.  Society,  literature,  and  love 
make  life  agreeable  ;  but  the  true  source  of  comfort  and 
happiness  is  strict  attention  to  the  vocation  we  have  se 
lected  for  a  career.  While  we  are  industrious,  and  have 
some  noble  object  in  view,  time  passes  pleasantly  and 


64  LIFE   AXD    CORKESPOXDENCE    OF 

profitably,  and  we  enjoy  the  sweets  of  life  without  feel 
ing  the  sting  that  lies  concealed  under  too  many  of  them. 
I  do  not,  however,  like  letter-moralizing,  especially  to  an 
elder  brother.  I  will  only  say  that  my  eyes  are  fixed  on 
the  South.  If  I  am  fortunate,  I  entertain  the  hope  of 
seeing  you  and  other  members  of  the  family  settled  in 
Mississippi. 

"  Last  year  my  percentage  or  fees  in  this  office  amount 
ed  to  $81,  which,  with  a  little  I  made  pettifogging,  draw 
ing  conveyances,  etc.,  has  supported  me  handsomely.  I 
have  not  much  left.  But,  if  I  know  Mr.  Brush  well,  he 
will  not  suffer  me  to  leave  this  place  with  a  mean  idea  of 
him.  We  never  made  a  contract,  and  I  have  rendered 
him  essential  service.  He  has  always  been  generous  and 
kind  to  me.  I  owe  no  man  a  cent.  On  the  contrary,  I 
have  loaned  money  to  several.  For  several  weeks  I 
have  been  breaking  a  wild  young  horse  which  Mr.  Brush 
requested  me  to  purchase  for  him.  He  has  given  me 
some  severe  falls,  but  is  now  a  fine  roadster.  Nobody 
but  myself  has  dared  to  back  him.  Perhaps  I  may  get 
this  nag  for  the  journey.  My  spirits  and  health  are 
good,  though,  like  most  of  the  Ohioans,  I  am  tallow- 
faced." 

To  his  Brother. 

''Delaware,  Sept.  2d,  1821. 

"  Since  the  receipt  of  your  last,  dear  brother,  I  have 
been  so  harassed  by  the  business  of  the  office  that  I  have 
had  scarcely  a  moment's  leisure  to  devote  to  my  friends 
at  home  ;  and  to-day,  though  it  is  Sunday,  I  have  been 
for  four  hours  making  out  our  monthly  returns  to  the 
General  Land-office.  I  have  never  hail  two  such  busy 
months.  In  July,  delving  over  my  books  from  morning 
till  night,  preparing  for  my  examination,  and,  in  August, 
the  land-sales  occupied  me  day  and  night.  You  may 
form  an  idea  of  the  business,  when  you  learn  that  we  of 
fered  at  auction  45  townships,  averaging  51,200  acres 
each,  in  80-acre  lots.  Of  these  we  have  sold  some  25,000 
acres,  and  are  still  selling  rapidly.  The  auction-sales 
close  this  week,  and  then  the  whole  country,  from  this  to 
the  lake,  will  be  subject  to  entry  at  $1  25  per  acre,  the 
finest  opening  for  colossal  fortunes  in  the  world. 


JOHN"   A.  QUITMAIST.  05 

"  Besides  these  engagements,  I  have  to  command  a 
fine  riiie  company  once  a  week  (our  captain  being  down 
Avith  the  eternal  chills  and  fever),  and  occasionally  have 
the  godsend  of  a  small  case  to  plead  before  a  justice  of 
the  peace.  Thus  time  passes  in  an  incessant  routine  of 
business ;  and  then,  instead  of  recreation,  I  have,  as  a 
duty,  to  visit  my  sick  friends,  and  watch  by  and  comfort 
them.  My  health  and  spirits  were  never  better,  but  the 
village  and  country  are  severely  scourged.  Intermittent 
and  bilious  fevers  are  frequent  and  fatal.  A  third  of 
our  population  is  bedridden.  Chill  and  fever  and  ague, 
daily,  tertian,  quotidian,  and  all  the  time,  is  a  regular  in 
stitution.  I  have  not  seen  them  shake  the  shingles  oft' 
the  roof,  or  the  nuts  off  the  hickories,  or  the  toe-nails  off 
the  patient,  but  all  these  achievements  are  vouched  for 
here. 

"  In  the  beginning  of  last  month  I  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  Thus  far  the  only  fruit  has  been  to  add  esquire  to 
my  address.  I  am  anxious  to  get  rid  of  the  necessity  of 
clerking.  To  my  profession  I  am  resolved  to  adhere, 
whether  I  grow  rich  or  starve.  'No  melancholy  notions 
for  me.  I  have  heretofore  been  prosperous  in  all  my  un 
dertakings.  Fortune  has  ever  smiled  upon  me,  nor  am  I 
no\v  apprehensive  of  her  frowns.  I  shall  go  South  as 
winter  approaches,  if  I  can  get  money  enough  to  carry 
mo.  My  resources  are  at  present  very  low.  I  have  some 
books  which  I  procured  in  the  way  of  trade,  and  some 
other  things,  but  none  of  them  will  command  cash.  My 
fees,  from  small  law-cases,  drawing  deeds,  etc.,  have  en 
abled  me  to  dress  well  and  have  pocket-money ;  but  now 
the  want  of  money  to  travel  on  and  set  me  up,  stares  me 
in  the  face.  If  I  can  live  but  six  months  where  I  may 
locate,  I  shall  have  overcome  every  difficulty.  Your 
transcript  of  Albert's  letter  is  very  gratifying.  The  dear 
fello\v  seems  to  be  happy,  and  not  a  little  amused  at  get 
ting  over  the  world  so  fast.  I  long  knew  he  desired  a 
sailor's  life,  and  papa  has  done  well  in  suffering  him  to 
go.  Why  should  any  human  being  be  tortured  by  an 
occupation  in  which  he  can  find  no  happiness  ?  Of  what 
account  are  honors  and  wealth,  unless  they  promote  our 
comfort  ?  If  we  can  be  happy  without  either,  why  strug 
gle  for  them?" 


66  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

From  his  Father. 

"Rhinebeck,  September  loth,  1821. 

"DEAR  JOHN, — Inclosed  I  send  you  $20, being  the  full 
amount  due  you  by  Mr.  Hazelius  for  services  at  Hart- 
wick,  with  some  interest.  I  can  add  nothing  to  it  from 
myself.  Since  you  have  resolved  to  settle  at  Natchez, 
I  pray  to  God  that  He  may  be  pleased  to  prosper  your 
views,  and  this  I  do  not  doubt  if  you  persevere  in  acting 
upon  those  correct  and  virtuous  principles  which  you 
have  always  manifested,  and  do  not  push  your  expecta 
tions  too  far,  or  with  too  much  eagerness.  '  Unusquisque 
snae  fortunsB  faber,'  is  an  ancient  and  true  saying,  but  it 
requires  generally  some  time  to  see  it  realized.  As  I 
lived  more  than  twelve  years  in  a  warm  climate,  I  may 
give  you  some  salutary  hints  with  respect  to  your  mode 
of  life  and  diet.  I  found  it  prudent  to  pay  attention  to 
the  manner  of  living  of  old  ancl  virtuous  inhabitants  of 
those  regions,  and  to  follow  their  example.  I  observed 
that  those  who  preserved  equanimity  of  mind  and  temper 
in  the  tropics  lived  commonly  as  long  as  the  inhabitants 
of  the  temperate  zones.  Violent  passions,  too  great  ex 
ertion  of  mind  or  body,  are  particularly  dangerous  in 
countries  where  the  blood  is  in  almost  continual  agita 
tion.  Grief,  discontent,  and  fretting  are  fatal.  The  even 
ing  air  ought  to  be  avoided,  in  particular  at  full  moon. 
Your  dress  ought  not  to  be  too  thin.  Most  of  the  sail 
ors  on  board  the  Ceres,  in  the  harbor  of  Curacoa,  escaped 
the  yellow  fever  who  wore  woolen  shirts.  You  ought 
not  to  consume  much  animal  food,  nor  fruit,  nor  acids, 
nor  punch,  but  rather  drink  a  little  Madeira  diluted  with 
water.  Use  the  spices  that  grow  in  the  country.  The 
best  preservative  of  all  is  a  cheerful  mind. 

"  Things  change  here.  Since  there  is  no  opportunity 
of  speculating  in  lands  and  money,  we  begin  to  speculate 
in  religion.  New  sects  spring  up  daily.  We  are  sur 
rounded  with  frantic  Methodists,  Erastians,  or  New 
Lights,  Baptists,  Universalists,  etc.  There  is  continually 
preaching  (so  called)  in  our  neighborhood.  The  Meth 
odists  are  at  present  in  camp-meeting  two  miles  beyond 
the  Flats.  This,  and  the  sitting  of  the  convention  in 
democratic  majesty,  give  us  alternately  sufficient  reason 
for  pity  and  laughter." 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAX.  67 

This  was  the  last  letter  lie  received  in  Ohio.  He  had 
resided  there  long  enough  to  establish  a  reputation  for 
integrity  and  business  habits,  for  good  sense,  courtesy, 
and  every  manly  virtue,  and  now,  with  the  good  wishes 
of  the  whole  community,  he  took  his  leave,  once  more  to 
seek  his  living  among  strangers.  With  an  income  of 
less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a  year,  laborious 
ly  earned  in  the  land-office  and  by  conveyancing,  he  had 
lived  in  the  best  society  of  the  village,  dressed  neatly, 
read  closely,  and  found  time  to  study  military  tactics, 
masonry,  and  music.*  So  well  had  he  husbanded  his 
humble  resources,  we  find  him  loaning  money  in  Dela 
ware  ;  it  is  honorable  to  his  debtors  that,  on  the  eve  of 
his  departure,  they  all  paid  their  little  dues,  no  doubt 
after  many  shifts  and  sacrifices.  He  received  some  aid 
from  Colonel  Brush,  and,  on  the  5th  of  November,  with 
a  good  horse  and  equipments,  he  bade  adieu  to  the  vil 
lage,-  nearly  the  whole  population  assembling  to  say  fare 
well.  His  own  letters  will  tell  the  story  of  his  journey 
and  of  his  launch  into  life  at  the  South. 

*  1821,  he  was  commissioned  by  Ethan  A.  Brown,  Governor  of 
Ohio,  1st  lieutenant  2d  rifle  company,  3d  regiment,  2d  brigade,  7th 
division  Ohio  Militia. 

Nov.  3d,  he  took  the  degree  of  master  mason  in  Hiram  Lodge, 
Xo.  8,  Delaware,  Ohio. 

Oct.  22d,  licensed  to  practice  law  by  the  Supreme  Court  of  Ohio. 


68  LIFE   AND   COEKESPOisDE^CE    OF 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Journey.  — Jockeyed  out  of  his  Horse.  — Feelings  on  the  Road. 
— Embarks  at  Louisville. — Arrives  at  Natchez. — His  first  Letter. 
— Low  State  of  his  Finances. — Philosophy. — William  B.  Griffith. 
— Natchez  in  1822. —  "Under  the  Hill." — Mississippi  Planters. — 
Mode  of  Life  and  Revenues. — New-year's  Day  in  the  South. — Ad 
mitted  to  the  Bar. — Takes  Charge  of  Mr.  Griffith's  Business. — 
Southern  Hospitality. — Letter  from  Mr.  Griffith. — Northern  No 
tions  of  the  South. — Ohio  Judges. — Dress. — His  first  Commission. 
— Life  at  the  South. — Slavery  and  Slave. — Life  contrasted  with 
Life  at  the  North. — Negro  Habits  and  Characteristics. — Natchez 
in  an  Epidemic. 

To  his  Brother. 

"  Natchez,  December  4th,  1821. 

"  HERE  I  am,  dear  brother,  at  last,  in  a  temporary  asy 
lum  such  as  the  moneyed  traveler  can  obtain  in  any  quar 
ter  of  the  world ;  and  as  I  have  nothing  else  to  do,  like 
other  great  men,  I  can  issue  bulletins  of  my  campaign. 
I  left  Delaware  November  5th,  with  the  blessings  of  nu 
merous  friends  whom  I  shall  never  forget.  The  day  was 
pleasant  and  the  roads  good.  I  drew  inspiration  from 
the  prospect  before  me  as  I  jogged  on,  yet  I  felt  sad  at 
parting,  perhaps  forever,  from  those  that  loved  me  well. 
Mr.  Little,  a  merchant  of  the  village,  whom  I  have  found 
a  generous  friend,  accompanied  me  to  Columbus.  On 
the  second  day  after  parting  with  him  it  began  to.  rain 
and  then  to  snow,  and  thus  I  traveled  alone  to  <Chili- 
cothe,  where  I  lay  by  several  days,  waiting  for  a  change  ; 
but  there  being  no  prospect,  and  having  not  the  where 
withal  to  '  take  mine  ease  in  mine  inn,'  I  pushed  on 
through  rain,  sleet,  and  mud,  and  literally  fought  my  way 
across  the  floating  ice  to  Maysville.  The  roads  were 
frozen  like  glass,  and  my  fine  nag,  Nancy  Dawson,  slip 
ped,  and  so  lamed  herself  I  was  compelled  to  put  up  at 


JOHN   A.  QUIT3IAX.  GO 

a  wayside  tavern  beyond  the  town  of  Washington.  Next 
morning  she  was  wholly  knocked  up,  and  a  gentlemanly 
and  friendly-disposed  wayfarer  at  the  same  tavern  de 
clared  that  she  would  not  be  lit  for  the  road  for  a  month. 
•Seeing  my  distress,  he  invited  me  to  '  peach  and  honey' 
— something  I  had  never  tasted  before — and,  after  a  good 
deal  of  chat,  lie  offered  to  exchange  his  fine-looking 
charger  for  my  mare,  and  825  to  boot.  The  landlord 
swore  he  was  the  best  horse  in  the  country,  and  that, 
even  if  my  mare  had  not  been  crippled,  $50  premium  for 
such  a  swap  wa.s  little  enough.  He  alleged,  likewise, 
that  Brigadier  General  Somebody,  who  came  round  once 
a  year  to  muster  the  brigade,  would  ride  no  other  horse 
on  such  occasions.  The  friendly  Kentuckian  said  this 
was  true  enough,  but  that  here  was  a  young  fellow  just 
starting  out  in  the  world,  not  overburdened  with  cash ; 
he  had  taken  a  liking  to  me ;  he  could  afford  to  lose  $25 
in  the  trade,  and  would  stick  to  his  offer.  The  landlord 
complimented  him  on  his  generosity,  said  it  was  just  like 
him,  and  insisted  on  a  general  treat.  The  peach  and 
honey  was  duly  honored  ;  I  paid  my  $25,  squared  my 
bill,  and  departed.  I  had  not  traveled  ten  miles  next 
day  before  I  found  I  had  been  '  sold,'  as  they  say  in  these 
parts.  My  Bucephalus,  as  I  had  named  him  in  my 
pride,  hung  his  ears,  drooped  his  tail,  dragged  his  hind 
legs,  stumbled  every  five  minutes,  and  snorted  like  an 
asthmatic  steam-boat.  With  whip  and  spur,  I  could  not 
average  over  two  miles  per  hour.  Finding  that,  at  this 
rate,  I  would  not  have  funds  for  the  ride  to  Natchez,  I 
was  compelled  to  steer  for  Louisville.  I  shall  never  for 
get  how  I  felt  when  I  found  myself  thus  swindled,  with 
out  redress,  without  a  friend,  and  with  no  money  to  pur 
chase  another  horse.  Woe  to  the  jockey  if  I  could  have 
laid  hands  on  him  then  !*  Every  body  and  every  thing 
strange  and  new  to  me,  and  once  more  I  felt  alone  in  the 
world.  The  very  boys  of  the  wayside  villages  sneered 
at  the  sorry  figure  I  cut.  Every  passer-by  had  his  jest. 

*  This  man  removed  to  Mississippi,  joked  and  fiddled  himself  into 
the  Legislature,  and  often  told  how  he  had  diddled  the  young  lawyer 
as  a  capital  jest.  In  after  life  Quitman  not  only  forgave  him,  but 
loaned  him  considerable  sums  of  money  at  vaVious  times  when  he  was 
in  distress. 


70  LIFE   AND    COKKESPOXDEXCE    OF 

At  last  I  made  a  joke  of  it  myself,  and  laughed  as  "heart 
ily  as  any  body  else.  I  sneaked  into  Louisville  after 
night,  and  sold  horse,  saddle,  and  bridle  for  $45,  Kentucky 
currency,  thirty-five  per  cent,  below  par,  little  more  than 
the  first  cost  of  saddle  and  bridle.  After  a  delay  of  three 
days  I  got  a  berth  in  the  first  steamer  that  left  (the  '  Car 
of  Commerce'),  for  $37J,  Kentucky  currency.  I  arrived 
here  last  night.  I  have  $15  in  my  pocket,  and  the  cheap 
est  respectable  board  and  lodging  is  $45  per  month. 
What  of  it  ?  Was  not  Goldsmith's  parson  '  passing  rich 
on  forty  pounds  a  year?'  Besides,  he  had  a  wife  and 
children,  and  the  care  of  souls,  and  was  altogether  a  man 
of  books  and  brains,  unfitted  to  battle  with  the  world. 
I  have  strong  arms  and  a  resolute  will,  and  if  one  thing 
fails  I  can  try  another. 

"  Since  writing  this  I  have  delivered  my  letter  to 
William  B.  Griffith,  Esq.,  from  his  mother.  He  was 
very  kind,  and  encourages  me  much,  and,  from  what  I 
observed  this  morning  in  court,  I  have  no  fears.  High 
fees,  plenty  of  business,  and  not  overstocked  with  emi 
nent  lawyers.  There  is  room  for  a  hard  student  and  a 
determined  man,  spurred  on  by  necessity  and  pride.  My 
difficulty  will  be  to  live  for  a  few  months.  I  must  ap 
pear  as  a  gentleman,  or  I  can  not  expect  to  be  treated 
as  such.  Mr.  Griffith  has  offered  me  the  use  of  his  office 
and  books,  and,  except  boarding,  I  shall  have  but  few 
wants.  I  shall  cut  them  down  to  a  narrow  compass.  I 
begin  my  economy  by  writing  on  coarse  and  soiled  paper 
(a  tavern  waif),  with  the  stump  of  a  pen.  Better  station 
ery  after  a  while,  but  now  not  a  shilling  for  superfluities. 
Tell  papa  and  my  sisters,  that  the  farther  I  go  from  them 
the  nearer  they  are  to  my  heart." 

To  his  Father. 

"Natchez,  Jan.  16th,  1822. 

"  I  write,  dear  father,  because  I  know  your  solicitude 
for  me.  From  the  cares  that  even  I  have  had,  I  can  esti 
mate  the  feelings  of  a  parent  who  has  the  happiness  of 
his  children  at  heart,  and  to  whom  Providence  has  de 
nied  the  means  of  setting  them  up  in  the  world.  You 
have  given  your  example,  your  instruction,  and  your 
blessing,  worth  far  more  than  money ;  and  with  these  I 


JOHN    A.   QUITMAN.  71 

can  fight  my  battle  of  life,  and  have  no  fears  of  the  re 
sult.  I  had  at  first  much  anxiety  as  to  how  I  could  live 
here  for  the  first  few  months,  and  until  some  business 
offered.  My  funds  were  very  low,  living  high,  and  I 
could  not  bear  the  notion  of  running  into  debt.  A  few 
days  after  my  arrival,  however,  conceive  my  joy  when 
Mr.  Griffith  proposed  to  me  to  assist  him  in  his  office  for 
a  year,  and,  in  the  mean  time,  he  would  guarantee  my 
support,  hinting,  likewise,  that  he  would  put  other  busi 
ness  in  my  hands  to  bring  me  some  income.  I  am  now, 
much  to  my  satisfaction,  located  in  his  fine,  large  office, 
with  an  extensive  library,  and  can  reap  the  same  instruc 
tion  from  his  large  practice  as  though  it  were  my  own. 
In  short,  my  situation  is  as  advantageous  as  you  could 
wish.  So  much  for  my  keel-boat  expedition,  and  the 
happy  accident  that  threw  me  into  the  society  of  Mrs. 
Griffith.  Her  son,  who  has  been  so  kind,  is  a  man  of 
first-rate  talents — a  Princeton  scholar — a  few  years  older 
than  myself,  and  has  every  quality  to  command  respect. 
In  the  midst  of  the  temptations  which  pleasure  and  dis 
sipation  hold  out  here,  and  w^ith  the  means  to  enjoy  them, 
and  the  temperament  too,  he  pursues  a  steady  and  unde- 
viating  course  in  the  true  road  to  professional  eminence. 
Politics  he  disdains.  Even  the  fiorid  eloquence  that 
tickles  the  multitude  he  holds  in  contempt.  Hard  ap 
plication  and  severe  logic,  thorough  preparation  of  his 
cases,  and  astonishing  energy  of  will  are  his  character 
istics.  No  part  of  the  United  States  holds  out  better 
prospects  for  a  young  lawyer.  AVhy  did  I  not  come 
here,  instead  of  stopping  in  Ohio  ?  Money  is  as  plenty 
here  as  it  is  scarce  there.  You  may  have  some  notion 
of  business  here  when  I  inform  you  that  court  has  been 
in  session  twenty-eight  days  without  disposing  of  the 
criminal  business;  there  were  120  indictments.  This 
would  indicate  a  deplorable  state  of  morals ;  but  remem 
ber,  the  river  brings  here  the  floating  population  of  the 
whole  West,  and  the  wealth  of  the  country  entices  ad 
venturers  from  many  lands.  Many  of  these  are  not  nov 
ices  in  crime.  Gambling  and  intemperance  are  carried 
to  excess.  'Under  the  hill,'  in  this  city  (a  straggling 
town  at  the  base  of  the  bluff,  consisting  of  warehouses, 
low  taverns,  groggeries,  dens  of  prostitution,  and  gaming- 


72  LIFE    AND    COKKESPOXDEXCE    OF 

houses),  vice  and  infamy  are  rampant  and  glaring,  and 
the  law  almost  powerless.  Day  and  night  the  orgies 
of  blackguardism  and  depravity  are  enacted  without 
shame  and  restraint.  The  Sabbath  is  there  particularly 
a  day  of  profanation  and  debauchery.  The  gambler,  the 
bully,  and  the  harlot  reign  triumphant,  and  little  juris 
diction  is  taken  over  their  atrocities. 

"In  the  city  proper,  and  the  surrounding  country, 
there  is  genteel  and  well-regulated  society.  The  religious 
classes  are  chiefly  Presbyterians  and  Methodists — a  few 
Episcopalians  and  Catholics.  The  planters  are  the  prom 
inent  feature.  They  ride  fine  horses,  are  followed  by 
well-dressed  and  very  aristocratic  servants,  but  affect 
great  simplicity  of  costume  themselves — straw  hats  and 
110  neck-cloths  irusummer,  and  in  winter  coarse  shoes  and 
blanket  overcoats.  They  live  profusely  :  drink  costly 
Port,  Madeira,  and  sherry,  after  the  English  fashion,  and 
are  exceedingly  hospitable.  Cotton-planting  is  the  most 
lucrative  business  that  can  be  followed.  Some  of  the 
planters  net  850,000  from  a  single  crop.* 

"  I  suppose  you  are  yet  locked  up  in  the  grasp  of  win 
ter.  I  spent  New-year's  Day  at  'the  Forest,'  the  resi 
dence  of  the  late  Sir  William  Dunbar,  now  owned  by  his 
son,  Dr.  Dunbar.  The  mansion,  the  stately  oaks,  the  ex 
tensive  park,  and  the  vast,  undulating  sweep  of  cultivated 
fields,  are  really  magnificent.  On  the  table  we  had  green 
peas,  lettuce,  radishes,  artichokes,  new  potatoes,  and  spin 
ach,  grown  in  the  open  air,  and  roses,  jessamines,  jonquils, 
and  pinks  in  profusion.  What  a  delightful  climate !  I 
almost  think  of  it  as  the  retreat  for  your  age.  The  peach 
and  plum  are  in  full  bloom,  and  the  birds  sing  merrily  in 
the  honeysuckes  around  my  bedchamber. 

"Xatchez  is  a  bustling  place.  The  streets  are  lined 
with  carriages,  drays,  and  wagons.  The  rush  to  the  riv 
er  is  incessant.  Every  hour  we  hear  the  roar  of  cannon, 
announcing  the  arrival  and  departure  of  steamers.  Hund 
reds  of  arks,  or  flat-boats,  loaded  with  the  produce  of  the 
Western  States,  even  from  the  interior  of  Pennsylvania, 
here  line  the  landing  for  half  a  mile,  often  lying  five  tier 
deep! 

*  Many  now  have  annual  revenues  of  $100,000  and  over. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  73 

"  On  the  8th  I  was  examined  before  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  am  now  a  licensed  attorney  and  counselor  in  the  State 
of  Mississippi.*  Continue  to  give  me  your  blessing,  dear 
father,  and  your  son  Jack  will  never  disgrace  you?' 

To  his  Maker. 

"Natchez,  August  12th,  1822. 

"  Separated  from  you  so  far,  dear  father,  your  health 
and  prosperity,  and  my  brothers  and  sisters,  form  the 
chief  objects  of  solicitude,  especially  as  I  have  no  care  as 
it  regards  my  present  and  future  prospects.  My  profes 
sional  career  commences  with  fair  chances,  and  if  I  do 
not  gain  the  highest  pinnacle,  my  stand  will  be  respecta 
ble.  It  shall  be  upright  and  honorable,  whether  I  die 
rich  or  poor. 

"  Mr.  Griffith,  who  has  been  like  a  brother  to  me,  left 
for  New  Jersey  last  month  by  sea,  and  has  promised  to 
pay  you  a  visit.  The  more  I  know  him,  the  higher  I  es 
teem  him.  He  is  a  noble  fellow,  and,  as  an  orator  and 
lawyer,  is  at  the  head  of  the  Mississippi  bar.  He  has  left 
the  business  of  his  office  entirely  in  my  hands,  and  on  his 
return  Avill  most  probably  offer  me  a  partnership,  espe 
cially  since  his  recent  appointment  of  United  States 
District  Attorney. 

"Intermittent  raid  bilious  fevers  are  common  now.  I 
have  not  taken  a  dose  of  medicine ;  my  health  is  perfect. 
If  necessary,  I  can  retreat  to  the  country.  I  have  made 
friends,  and  have  several  invitations.  Dr.  Dunbar,  Mrs. 
Gen.  Claiborne,  and  Judge  Turner  have  all  invited  me  to 
their  delightful  homes,  more  as  an  inmate  of  their  families 
than  as  a  guest.  Cordial  hospitality  is  one  of  the  char 
acteristics  of  the  Southern  people.  Their  very  servants 
catch  the  feeling  of  their  owners,  and  anticipate  one's 
wants.  Your  coffee  in  the  morning  before  sunrise ;  little 
stews  and  sudorifics  at  night,  and  warm  foot-baths,  if  you 
have  a  cold;  bouquets  of  fresh  flowers  and  mint-juleps 
sent  to  your  apartment ;  a  horse  and  saddle  at  your  dis 
posal  ;  every  thing  free  and  easy,  and  cheerful  and  cor 
dial.  It  is  really  fascinating,  and  I  seem  to  be  lead- 

*  The  judges  were  John  P.  Hampton  and  Powhatan  Ellis.     Ex 
aminers,  Joseph  E.  Davis,  Joshua  ChilJs,  Martin  Whiting. 
Voi,  I.— D 


74  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

ing  a  charmed  life  compared  with  my  pilgrimage  else 
where." 


The  visit  of  Mr.  Griffith  to  the  North,  leaving  Quitman 
in  charge  of  his  office,  brought  him,  every  hour  of  the 
day,  in  contact  with  the  prominent  business  men  of  the 
community  and  influential  clients  from  all  parts  of  the 
state,  whose  confidence  that  distinguished  lawyer  enjoy 
ed.  It  threw  him  in  correspondence,  likewise,  with  mer 
chants  and  capitalists  in  other  states  and  in  Europe, 
whose  affairs  had  been  confided  to  Mr.  Griffith.  It  occa 
sioned,  too,  more  intimate  relations  between  him  and  the 
established  members  of  the  bar — a  body  of  gentlemen  dis 
tinguished  then,  as  now,  and  at  all  times,  for  their  integ 
rity,  patriotism,  scrupulous  honor,  and  high-toned  cour 
tesy.  Quitman  was  not  the  man  to  throw  away  these 
advantages ;  he  put  the  proper  value  upon  the  opportuni 
ties  thus  providentially  cast  in  his  path,  and  exerted  what 
he  himself  considered  a  sort  of  magnetic  faculty  of  at 
traction.  When  Mr.  Griffith  returned,  he  found  not  only 
that  his  business  had  been  conducted  with  admirable  tact 
and  discretion,  but  the  young  attorney  had  become  one 
of  the  most  popular  men  in  the  community.  During  his 
absence  he  had  written  to  Quitman  thus — the  sentiments 
do  honor  to  his  memory  and  to  the  bar : 

"I  am  afraid  you  have  already  had — and  will  have — 
some  difficulty  in  managing  my  business,  arising  from  the 
hurry  of  my  departure,  and  want  of  time  to  prepare  the 
necessary  instructions  and  explanations.  I  have,  how 
ever,  the  fullest  confidence  in  your  abilities  and  industry ; 
and  my  regret  at  giving  you  so  much  trouble,  when  it 
might  perhaps  have  been  avoided,  is  lessened  by  the  re 
flection,  that  the  greater  your  difficulties  are,  the  greater 
will  be  the  eventual  advantage  you  will  gain  in  surmount 
ing  them.  You  must  extend  your  acquaintance  with  the 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAX.  75 

people,  and,  without  losing  your  dignity  or  descending  to 
too  much  familiarity,  acquire  popularity  and  the  esteem 
of  the  profanum  vulyus. 

"  In  relation  to  charges,  when  they  are  discretionary, 
and  not  fixed  by  the  general  consent  of  the  bar,  be  mod 
erate.  You  may,  perhaps,  smile  to  hear  me  say  so.  There 
are  some  persons  who  would  not  esteem  the  service  if 
they  were  not  required  to  pay  heavily  for  it.  There  are 
many  such  about  Natchez,  whose  whole  idea  is  wealth 
and  its  importance.  There  arc  others  who  really  can  not 
afford  heavy  fees,  though  highly  respectable  men.  These 
must  be  indulged.  My  rule  has  generally  been,  never  to 
disagree .  with  a  respectable  man  on  that  score.  The 
poor,  I  need  scarcely  say,  must  be  served  freely,  and  with 
all  our  heart,  when  oppressed!)]]  the  proud  and  powerful. 
This  is  the  glory  and  consolation  of  our  profession." 

Noble  sentiments !  Nor  did  they  fall,  like  the  barren 
seed  of  Scripture,  on  "  stony  ground,"  but  on  a  heart 
full  of  natural  equity  and  generous  emotions. 

The  fame  of  his  first  success  had  now  reached  his  dis 
tant  friends,  and  he  received  numerous  letters  of  congrat 
ulation  and  inquiry,  some  of  them  amusing  enough. 
Natchez  was  at  that  period  a  sort  of  ultima  thule,  and 
queer  notions  of  it  prevailed  among  even  educated  men. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Mayer,  of  Philadelphia,  wrote :  "  I  have 
often  heard  Natchez  described  as  seated  on  a  high  bluff, 
and,  of  course,  likely  to  be  as  healthy  as  any  other  spot 
within  1000  miles  of  New  Orleans.  Still,  I  would  advise 
you  to  make  a  frequent  use  of  Lee's  anti-bilious  pills,  two 
or  three  a  day,  as  a  preventive ''against  the  fall  diseases 
of  that  climate.  How  shall  I  send  you  a  dozen  boxes  ? 
A  pretty  thick  net  is,  I  suppose,  an  indispensable  defense 
against  musquitocs.  How  do  they  differ  from  gallinip- 
pers  ?  How  do  Yankees  thrive  with  you  ?  I  have  been 
told  that  girls  of  decent  appearance  and  good  education 


76  LIFE   AND    COKEESPONDEXCE    OF 

are  sure  to  be  snatched  up  as  wives  in  three  months  after 
their  first  exhibition  among  you.  Is  this  really  so  ?  If 
it  be,  I  should  wish  to  disseminate  the  information  011 
your  warrant  among  some  friends  of  mine.  Rumor  has 
it,  that  ministers  rarely  fail  to  marry  rich  wives  in  that 
country,  that  they  fall  off  gradually  in  their  devotions, 
and  become  the  most  rigorous  task-masters  and  cotton- 
makers.  This,  surely,  must  be  scandal. 

"  Are  you  permanently  fixed,  or  will  you  roll  on  ?  Is 
your  ambitious  eye  fixed  upon  the  mines  of  Mexico,  or 
do  you  expect  to  go  to  the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  ? 
How  does  the  capital  of  Mississippi  please  you  as  a  rest 
ing-place  ?  A  resting-place  only,  I  fear  it  will  be,  unless 
one  of  its  fair  sirens  enchant  you.  Another  foe,  not  a 
fair  one,  is  to  be  guarded  against.  I  suppose  every  body 
is  down  with  high  bilious  fevers  from  July  till  Decem 
ber.  Stick  to  your  pills,  and  cheat  the  adversary.  Some 
of  your  fellow-adventurers  at  Mount  Airy  have  at  length 
found  places,  and  others  are  tossing  about.  Haslam  has 
the  Lutheran  academy  at  Charleston.  Goodman  has 
gone  to  take  charge  of  the  churches  near  Troy.  Backus 
has  sailed  for  Pernambuco.  Promotion  is  rapid,  I  hear, 
in  your  new  country.  When  you  shall  have  risen  to  the 
office  of  judge  or  member  of  Congress,  let  me  know,  that 
I  may  write  you  with  becoming  dignity. 

"  There  is  a  colony  of  Germans  near  Natchez  some 
where.  Look  after  them,  make  them  your  clients,  and 
keep  them  in  the  true  church." 

His  old  patron,  Platt  Brush,  wrote  as  follows :  "  Give 
me  a  minute  account  of  the  country,  contrasting  it  with 
ours ;  your  own  opinion  as  to  the  salubrity  of  various 
parts,  and  whether  you  can  compare  any  particular  sec 
tion  of  it  with  Ohio ;  peculiarities  of  the  people,  law,  re 
ligion,  and  politics,  wealth  and  splendor,  and  the  surest 
and  speediest  mode  of  acquiring  the  same.  Mr.  Petti- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  77 

bone  will  remove  to  your  country  in  the  fall,  and  it  is 
very  probable  I  may  accompany  him  4  to  spy  out  the  na 
kedness  of  the  land.'  Mention  the  time  of  the  fall  meet 
ing  of  your  superior  courts.  I  should  like  to  take  sound 
ings  there  before  I  determine  upon  a  move.  I  can  fath 
om  your  bar  in  three  days.  Let  us  hear  something  of 
your  judges.  Are  they  deep  or  shallow,  fast  or  slow  ? 
Are  they  fixtures  for  life  ?  Much  of  our  success  depends 
on  them.  Here,  you  know,  they  are  a  sly  set  of  old  fox 
es,  and  very  hard  to  head.  With  you,  I  take  it,  it  is  oth 
erwise,  and  they  die,  if  they  don't  resign.  The  practice 
is  so  profitable,  your  ablest  men  remain  at  the  bar,  and 
your  stupid  and  pompous  fellows  go  upon  the  bench. 
Is  it  not  so  ?  What  about  niggers  ?  Arc  they  really 
branded  and  cropped,  and  fed  on  salted  cotton-seed? 
Does  every  master  keep  his  mulatto  concubine,  and  his 
harem  of  darkies  ?  Do  men  from  the  land  of  steady  hab 
its  fall  into  these  practices  ?  Are  your  Creoles  white  ?  or 
white  and  Indian,  or  nigger  and  white,  or  all  mixed  to 
gether  ?  And  are  these  recognized  conventionally,  and 
allowed  in  society,  or  as  jurors  or  witnesses  ?" 

To  his  Brotlicr. 

"Natchez,  Feb.  1st,  1823. 

"  You  think  my  friend,  Mr.  Griffith,  rather  foppish  in 
his  dress.  Why,  brother,  if  you  could  sec  the  extrava 
gance  in  which  most  young  men  here  indulge,  you  would 
consider  him  plain.  Clothing  is  usually  made  to  order 
in  Philadelphia,  of  the  most  expensive  materials  and  most 
fashionable  cut.  Our  beaux  here  mostly  patronize  Wat 
son,  and  his  average  charge  is  $100  per  suit.  Three  or 
four  suits  arc  ordered  for  winter,  double  that  number  for 
summer.  I  have  already  caught  the  habit.  We  have 
few  mechanics,  except  carpenters,  masons,  and  gin- 
wrights.  There  is  not  a  shoemaker  in  Natchez.  Our 
shoes  come  from  the  North,  boots  from  Paris,  and  cost 
from  810  to  $14.  Extravagance  and  expense  become  fa 
miliar. 


78  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

"  Our  Circuit  Court  has  just  adjourned.  I  had  my 
share  of  business.  I  have  recently  visited  what  are  called 
'  the  Pearl  River  counties,'  on  a  tour  of  duty,  having 
been  appointed  brigade  inspector,  with  the  rank  of  ma 
jor.*  The  place  affords  me  some  gratification,  and  occa 
sions  but  little  expense.  Its  duties  are  performed  during 
vacation,  and  it  will  give  me  an  extended  acquaintance. 
So,  you  see,  my  winter  evenings  at  Delaware,  studying 
tactics  and  the  art  of  war,  are  already  available." 

To  his  brother. 

"Natchez,  March  llth,  1823. 

"  Your  letters,  dear  brother,  can  not  be  too  minute. 
My  home  feelings  are  intense.  Could  I  but  catch  one 
glimpse  of  the  old  winter  apple-tree  in  the  yard,  or  the 
many  faces  that  used  to  cluster  under  its  branches,  I 
should  feel  once  more  a  boy.  A  thousand  scenes  of  the 
past  swim  over  my  memory,  like  passing  shadows,  and 
I  often  find  myself  a  dreamer  when  I  should  be  a  stu 
dent.  So  tell  me  of  home — my  early  home — the  home 
of  father,  sisters,  and  brothers — the  resting-place  of  our 
mother,  humble  though  it  be :  all  these  lie  very  near  my 
heart.  But  a  truce  to  these  vagabond  fancies,  that  car 
ry  me  away  from  the  realities  around  me.  You  ask 
what  are  my  prospects  ?  If  they  continue  three  years  I 
trust  I  shall  be  able  to  say, '  Come  and  see  me,'  and  I 
will '  chalk  your  hat'  for  the  journey.  I  think  I  shall  be 
come  easy  in  my  circumstances  some  day,  if  not  rich.  I 
must  live  genteelly,  but,  at  the  same  time,  when  I  know 
the  gratification  I  should  receive  from  being  able  to  re 
lieve  those  who  are  dear  to  me,  and  who  deserve  good 
fortune  more,  ephemeral  pleasures  have  no  charms,  and 
I  cast  them  away  as  unworthy  of  a  reasonable  man. 
What  comparison  can  there  be  between  the  approving 
feelings  of  a  heart  conscious  of  doing  good,  and  the  mere 
sensual  pleasures  of  feasting  and  drinking  ? 

"  As  to  marrying,  I  have  not  thought  of  it  seriously. 
Money  and  splendor  will  never  bias  my  choice,  and,  until 
my  heart  is  thoroughly  touched,  I  shall  prefer  the  solita 
ry  yet  snug  elbow-chair  of  a  bachelor.". 

*  1823,  Jan.  10th,  brigade  inspector,  2d  brigade,  1st  division  Mis 
sissippi  Militia,  commissioned  by  "Walter  Leake,  Governor. 


JOHN    A.  QlimiAN.  79 

In  the  next  letter,  with  a  rapid  pen,  he  sketches  slave 
life  in  the  South  as  it  then  existed.  If  modified  since,  it 
lias  been  for  the  better.  The  condition  of  the  Southern 
slave  is  not  stationary,*  but  progressive.  As  the  mas 
ter's  circumstances  improve,  the  position  of  his  slaves  is 
ameliorated.  Every  comfort  he  gathers  about  him  is  en 
joyed,  more  or  less,  by  his  dependents.  They  rough  it, 
as  he  does,  in  the  outset  of  life ;  but  when  he  builds  a 
comfortable  house  for  himself  the  improvement  of  their 
quarters  is  certain  to  follow.  As  his  stock  increases, 
they  get  their  share  of  milk  and  fresh  meats,  in  addition 
to  salted  provisions.  As  his  plantation  expands,  they 
are  allowed  more  ground  for  the  culture  of  esculents, 
from  which,  and  their  poultry,  they  derive  no  inconsid 
erable  revenue ;  often  more,  for  each  family,  than  a  hard 
working  New  England  yeoman  realizes,  by  the  labor  of 
his  household,  at  the  end  of  the  year.  They  enjoy,  both 
at  home  and  in  the  neighboring  meeting-houses,  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel.  Convenient  chapels  are  built 
on  many  plantations  expressly  for  them.  They  do  no 
compulsory  labor  on  the  Sabbath,  and  usually  have  most 
of  the  holidays  kept  by  their  owners,  and  participate  in 
the  festivities.  They  are  clothed  well,  and  often  dress 
in  the  height  of  the  ton.  From  the  youngest  members 
of  the  family  they  get  the  latest  fashions.  They  dance 
polkas  and  mazourkas.  They  warble  airs  from  the  last 
opera.  Their  weddings  are  celebrated  with  the  usual 
ceremonies,  and  their  funerals  with  religious  solemnity, 
the  owner  of  his  family  often  casting  the  first  shovel  of 
earth,  and  shedding  tears  over  the  tomb  of  the  faithful 
servant.  They  occupy  confidential  positions,  keep  the 
stores  of  the  plantation,  collect  dues,  and  arc  often  in 
trusted  with  largo  sums  to  transmit  from  place  to  place, 

*  "  Fix'd  like  a  plant  to  a  peculiar  spot, 
To  draw  nutrition,  vegetate,  and  rot." 


80  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE    OF 

and  some  of  them  arc  employed  as  overseers.  By  the 
will  of  the  late  Philip  Hoggatt,  of  Adams  County,  Mis 
sissippi,  one  of  his  slaves,  intrusted  with  the  management 
of  several  plantations,  receives  6500  per  annum.  Many 
of  them  command  a  credit  at  the  neighboring  stores  be 
yond  the  means  of  many  Northern  farmers,  so  well  estab 
lished  is  their  reputation  as  punctual  paymasters.  They 
are  attached  to  the  whites ;  they  imitate  their  manners 
and  mode  of  dress ;  they  are  proud  of  an  admixture  of 
blood ;  their  whole  aim  is  to  progress,  and  their  stron 
gest  term  of  contempt,  when  a  comrade  incurs  their  dis 
pleasure,  is  to  stigmatize  him  as  a  "  d — d  black  nigger." 
Compared  with  the  original  or  recent  importation  of  Af 
ricans,  their  progress  has  been  wonderful.  When  first 
brought  to  this  country  they  lived  in  hovels,  got  their 
peck  of  corn  without  meat,  went  almost  naked,  worked 
early  and  late,  and  were  often  severely  whipped  and  oth 
erwise  punished.  The  whip  is  now  rarely  applied — on 
many  plantations  never.  Besides  meat  and  meal  in 
abundance,  and  milk  and  vegetables,  they  get  a  reasona 
ble  allowance  of  sugar,  coffee,  and  tobacco,  flour  and  mo 
lasses  ;  they  have  gardens,  orchards,  poultry-yards,  and 
piggeries;  corn,  melon,  and  potato  patches;  they  are  nev 
er  without  money;  their  cabins  are  comfortable  and 
neat,  with  an  unlimited  command  of  fuel ;  shoes,  hats, 
blankets,  mattresses,  and  winter  and  summer  clothing  are 
regularly  apportioned  to  them ;  in  sickness,  the  best  nurs 
ing,  the  best  medical  advice,  and  nicely  prepared  diet ; 
and  the  Sunday  dinners  of  every  thrifty  family  of  slaves 
would  be  considered  a  sort  of  thanksgiving  dinner  in 
New  England.  In  old  age  they  are  carefully  sheltered 
arid  supported. 

In  the  early  stages  of  African  slavery  in  the  South,  it 
was  by  many  considered  an  evil,  that  had  been  inflicted 
upon  the  country  by  British  and  New  England  cupidity. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  81 

The  Africans  were  regarded  as  barbarians,  and  were  gov 
erned  by  the  lash.  The  very  hatred  of  the  "  evil"  forced 
upon  ns  was,  in  a  measure,  transferred  to  the  unhappy 
victims.  They  were  treated  with  severity,  and  no  so 
cial  relations  subsisted  between  them  and  the  whites. 
By  degrees  slavery  began  to  be  considered  "  a  necessa 
ry  evil,"  to  be  got  rid  of  by  gradual  emancipation,  or 
perhaps  not  at  all,  and  the  condition  of  the  slave  sensibly 
improved.  The  natural  sense  of  justice  in  the  human 
heart  suggested  that  they  had  been  brought  here  by 
compulsion,  and  that  they  should  be  regarded  not  as  sav 
ages,  but  as  captives,  who  were  to  be  kindly  treated 
while  laboring  for  their  ultimate  redemption. 

The  progress  of  anti-slavery  sentiment  in  the  Northern 
States  (once  regarded  by  the  South  as  a  harmless  fanati 
cism),  the  excesses  it  has  occasioned,  and  the  unconstitu 
tional  power  it  claims,  at  length  prompted  a  general  and 
searching  inquiry  into  the  true  status  of  the  negro.  The 
moment  that  the  Southern  mind  became  convinced  that 
slavery,  as  it  exists  among  us,  instead  of  being  a  moral, 
social,  and  political  evil,  is  a  moral,  social,  and  political 
good,  and  is  the  natural  condition  of  the  negro,  as  or 
dained  by  Providence,  and  the  only  condition  in  which 
he  can  be  civilized  and  instructed,  the  condition  of  the 
Southern  slave  underwent  a  thorough  change.  As  a  per 
manent  fixture,  as  a  hereditary  heir-loom,  as  a  human 
being  with  an  immortal  soul,  intrusted  to  us  by  God  for 
his  own  wise  purposes,  his  value  increased,  and  his  rela 
tion  to  his  owner  approximated  to  the  relation  of  guard 
ian  and  ward.  Interest  taught  us  that  it  would  be  wise 
to  cherish  what  was  to  be  the  permanent  means  of  pro 
duction  and  profit,  and  religion  exacted  the  humane  and 
judicious  employment  of  the  "talent"  committed  to  our 
care.  Thus  the  most  powerful  influences  that  sway  the 
heart  and  the  judgment  are  in  operation  for  the  benefit 
D  2 


82  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OP 

of  the  slave,  and  hence  his  present  comfortable  and  con 
stantly  ameliorating  condition.  It  is  due,  almost  solely, 
to  the  moral  convictions  of  the  slaveholder.  Our  laws 
protect  the  slave  in  life  and  limb,  and  against  cruel  and 
inordinate  punishment.  Those  laws  are  rigorously  ap 
plied,  though  rarely  necessary,  for  public  opinion,  more 
formidable  than  law,  would  condemn  to  execration  and 
infamy  the  unjust  and  cruel  master.  Since  these  convic 
tions  in  regard  to  slavery  have  been  adopted  almost 
unanimously  in  the  South,  the  value  of  negroes  has  quad 
rupled.  This,  however,  is  in  some  measure  an  evil,  be 
cause  the  tendency  is  to  concentrate  the  slaves  in  the 
hands  of  the  few,  who  are  able  to  pay  the  extraordinary 
rates  now  demanded.  It  would  be  better  for  the  com 
monwealth,  and  give  additional  solidity  to  our  system 
of  domestic  servitude,  if  every  family  had  an  interest  in 
it,  secured,  to  a  limited  extent,  against  liability  for  debt. 
It  should  constitute  in  the  South,  if  practicable,  a  part 
of  every  homestead,  and  then  interest,  and  household 
tradition,  and  the  friendly,  confidential,  and  even  affec 
tionate  relations  that  in  the  present  state  of  public  feel 
ing  prevail  between  master  and  slave,  would  unite  all 
men  in  its  defense.  Neither  land,  nor  slaves,  which  are 
here  more  valuable  than  land,  should,  by  either  direct  or 
indirect  legislation,  be  concentrated  in  few  hands.  Ev 
ery  citizen  should  have,  if  possible,  that  immediate  inter 
est  in  them  which  would  make  him  feel  that,  in  defend 
ing  the  commonwealth  and  its  institutions,  he  is  defend 
ing  his  own  inheritance.  Whether  our  lawTs,  both  fed 
eral  and  state,  are  not  in  this  sense  unfavorable  to  the 
permanence  of  an  institution  indispensable  to  the  South, 
is  a  question  now  exercising  the  public  attention,  and  it 
is  not  doubted  that,  ultimately,  as  was  the  case  with  the 
question  of  slavery  itself,  the  Southern  mind  wTill  arrive 
at  a  correct  conclusion. 


JOHN   A.  QUITilAN. 


To  Col.  Brush. 

"  Soldier's  Ketreat,  near  Natchez,  Aug.  23d,  1823. 
"  Since  my  last  letter,  my  dear  Col.  Brush,  I  have  been 
a  refugee  from  Natchez,  where  the  yellow  fever  is  rag 
ing.  Our  bar  is  quartered  at  various  country-seats — not 
boarding;  a  Mississippi  planter  would  be  insulted  by 
such  a  proposal;  but  we  are  enjoying  the  hospitalities 
that  are  offered  to  us  on  all  sides.  The  awful  pestilence 
in  the  city  brings  out,  in  strong  relief,  the  peculiar  vir 
tues  of  this  people.  The  mansions  of  the  planters  are 
thrown  open  to  all  coiners  and  goers  free  of  charge. 
Whole  families  have  free  'quarters  during  the  epidemic, 
and  country  wagons  are  sent  daily  to  the  verge  of  the 
smitten  city  with  fowls,  vegetables,  etc.,  for  gratuitous 
distribution  to  the  poor.  I  am  now  writing  from  one  of 
those  old  mansions,  and  I  can  give  you  no  better  notion 
of  life  at  the  South  than  by  describing  the  routine  of  a 
day.  The  owner  is  the  widow  of  a  Virginia  gentleman 
of  distinction,  a  brave  officer,  who  died  in  the  public  serv 
ice  during  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain/1-"  She  her 
self  is  a  native  of  this  vicinity,  of  English  parents  settled 
here  in  Spanish  times.  She  is  an  intimate  friend  of  my 
first  friend,  Mrs.  Griffith,  and  I  have  been  in  the  habit  of 
visiting  her  house  ever  since  I  came  South.  The  whole 
aim  of  this  excellent  lady  seems  to  be  to  make  others 
happy.  I  do  not  believe  she  ever  thinks  of  herself.  She 
is  growing  old,  but  her  parlor  is  constantly  thronged 
with  the  young  and  gay,  attracted  by  her  cheerful  and 
never-failing  kindness.  There  arc  two  large  families 
from  the  city  staying  here,  and  every  day  some  ten  or 
a  dozen  transient  guests.  Mint-juleps  in  the  morning 
are  sent  to  our  rooms,  and  then  follows  a  delightful 
breakfast  in  the  open  veranda.  We  hunt,  ride,  fish, 
pay  morning  visits,  play  chess,  read  or  lounge  until  din 
ner,  which  is  served  at  two  P.M.  in  great  variety,  and 
most  delicately  cooked  in  what  is  here  called  the  Creole 
style — very  rich,  and  many  made  or  mixed  dishes.  In 
two  hours  afterward  every  body — white  and  black — has 
disappeared.  The  whole  household  is  asleep — the  siesta 

*  The  late  Gen.  F.  L.  Claiborne. 


84  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE   OF 

of  the  Italians.  The  ladies  retire  to  their  apartments, 
and  the  gentlemen  on  sofas,  settees,  benches,  hammocks, 
and  often,  gipsy  fashion,  on  the  grass  under  the  spread 
ing  oaks.  Here,  too,  in  fine  weather,  the  tea-table  is 
always  set  before  sunset,  and  then,  until  bedtime,  we 
stroll,  sing,  play  whist,  or  coquet.  It  is  an  indolent,  yet 
charming  life,  and  one  quits  thinking  and  takes  to  dream 
ing. 

"  This  excellent  lady  is  not  rich,  merely  independent ; 
but  by  thrifty  housewifery,  and  a  good  dairy  and  gar 
den,  she  contrives  to  dispense  the  most  liberal  hospitali 
ty.  Her  slaves  appear  to  be,  in  a  manner,  free,  yet  arc 
obedient  and  polite,  and  the  farm  is  well  worked.  With 
all  her  gayety  of  disposition  and  fondness  for  the  young, 
she  is  truly  pious,  and  in  her  own  apartment  every  night 
she  has  family  prayer  with  her  slaves,  one  or  more  of 
them  being  often  called  on  to  sing  and  pray.  When  a 
minister  visits  the  house,  wThich  happens  very  frequently, 
prayers  night  and  morning  are  always  said,  and  on  these 
occasions  the  whole  household  and  the  guests  assemble 
in  the  parlor :  chairs  are  provided  for  the  servants. 
They  are  married  by  a  clergyman  of  their  own  color, 
and  a  sumptuous  supper  is  always  prepared.  On  public 
holidays  they  have  dinners  equal  to  an  Ohio  barbecue, 
and  Christmas,  for  a  week  or  ten  days,  is  a  protracted 
festival  for  the  blacks.  They  are  a  happy,  careless,  unre 
flecting,  good-natured  race,  who,  left  to  themselves,  would 
degenerate  into  drones  or  brutes,  but,  subjected  to  whole 
some  restraint  and  stimulus,  become  the  best  and  most 
contented  of  laborers.  They  are  strongly  attached  to 
'old  massa'  and  'old  missus,'  but  their  devotion  to 
'young  massa'  and  'young  missus'  amounts  to  enthusi 
asm.  They  have  great  family  pride,  and  are  the  most 
arrant  coxcombs  and  aristocrats  in  the  world.  At  a 
wedding  I  witnessed"  here  last  Saturday  evening,  where 
some  150  negroes  were  assembled,  many  being  invited 
guests,  I  heard  a  number  of  them  addressed  as  governors, 
generals,  judges,  and  doctors  (the  titles  of  their  masters), 
and  a  spruce,  tight-set  darkey,  who  waits  on  me  in  town, 
was  called  'Major  Quitman.'  The  'colored  ladies'  are 
invariably  Miss  Joneses,  Miss  Smiths,  or  some  such  title. 
They  are  exceedingly  pompous  and  ceremonious,  gloved 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAlSr.  85 

and  highly  perfumed.  The  '  gentlemen'  sport  canes,  ruf 
fles,  and  jewelry,  wear  boots  and  spurs,  affect  crape  on 
their  hats,  and  carry  huge  cigars.  The  belles  wear  gaudy 
colors, '  tote'  their  tans  with  the  air  of  Spanish  senoritas, 
and  never  stir  out,  though  black  as  the  ace  of  spades, 
without  their  parasols.  In  short,  these  '  niggers,'  as  you 
call  them,  are  the  happiest  people  I  have  ever  seen,  and 
some  of  them,  in  form,  features,  and  movement,  are  real 
sultanas.  So  far  from  being  fed  on  '  salted  cotton-seed,' 
as  we  used  to  believe  in  Ohio,  they  are  oily,  sleek,  boun 
tifully  fed,  well  clothed,  well  taken  care  of,  and  one  hears 
them  at  all  times  whistling  and  singing  cheerily  at  their 
work.*  They  have  an  extraordinary  facility  for  sleep 
ing.  A  negro  is  a  great  night-walker.  He  will,  after 
laboring  all  day  in  the  burning  sun,  walk  ten  miles  to  a 
frolic,  or  to  see  his  '  Dinah,'  and  be  at  home  and  at  his 
work  by  daylight  next  morning.  This  would  knock  up 
a  white  man  or  an  Indian.  But  a  negro  will  sleep  dur 
ing  the  day — sleep  at  his  work,  sleep  on  the  carriage- 
box,  sleep  standing  up ;  and  I  have  often  seen  them  sit 
ting  bareheaded  in  the  sun  on  a  high  rail-fence,  sleeping 
as  securely  as  though  lying  in  bed.  They  never  lose 
their  equipoise,  and  will  carry  their  cotton-baskets  or 
their  water-vessels,  filled  to  the  brim,  poised  on  their 
heads,  walking  carelessly  and  at  a  rapid  rate,  without 
spilling  a  drop.  The  very  weight  of  such  burdens  would 
crush  a  white  man's  brains  into  apoplexy.  Compared 
with  the  ague-smitten  and  suffering  settlers  that  you  and 
I  have  seen  in  Ohio,  or  the  sickly  and  starved  operators 
we  read  of  in  factories  and  in  mines,  these  Southern 
slaves  are  indeed  to  be  envied.  They  are  treated  with 

*  Contrast  this  with  life  at  the  North,  as  recorded  by  his  brother 
Henry  in  a  letter  dated  Ehinebeck,  Feb.  3d,  1823:  "We  have  not 
had  snow  enough  for  sleighing,  so  every  body  has  to  stay  at  home. 
In  the  morning  I  feed  the  cows,  take  care  of  the  horses,  and  cut  wood 
until  dinner-time.  In  the  evening  I  take  care  of  the  cattle,  and  go 
to  bed.  I  would  willingly  exchange  my  residence  here  for  one  where 
I  might  do  for  myself,  were  my  earnings  ever  so  small,  and  lay  by  a 
little  for  a  rainy  day.  It  is  a  hard  place  to  get  along  in — cold  win 
ters  and  hot  summers ;  snow,  or  slush,  or  dust,  or  drought.  Work, 
work,  work,  and  money  always  scarce.  I  wish  I  had  been  brought 
up  a  tailor,  or  shoemaker,  as  you  say  they  have  none  at  Natchez." 


86  LIFE   AND   COKKESPONDENCE   OF 

great  humanity  and  kindness.  I  have  only  heard  of  one 
or  two  exceptions.  And  the  only  drawback  to  their 
happiness  is  that  their  owners,  sometimes,  from  extrava 
gance  or  other  bad  management,  die  insolvent,  and  then 
they  must  be  sold  to  the  highest  bidder,  must  leave  the 
old  homestead  and  the  old  family,  and  pass  into  the 
hands  of  strangers.  I  have  witnessed  one  of  these 
scenes,  and  but  one,  though  they  occur  often,  and  I  nev 
er  saw  such  profound  grief  as  the  poor  creatures  mani 
fested.  I  am  opposed,  as  you  know,  to  all  relief  laws, 
but,  I  confess,  I  never  hear  of  the  sale  of  old  family  serv 
ants  without  wishing  that  there  was  some  provision  by 
which  some  of  them,  at  least,  might  be  retained  as  in 
alienable.  It  is  a  grave  question  for  those  interested  in 
slavery  to  determine  whether  some  protection  of  this  na 
ture  is  not  a  necessary  adjunct  of  slavery  itself." 

To  his  brother. 

"  Greenfields,  near  Natchez,  Oct.  1st,  1823. 

"  I  have  been  for  a  week  or  more  at  this  charming 
abode,  wThere  Mr.  Griffith  and  his  family  are  likewise 
guests.  We  shall  not  return  to  town  until  December. 
Whole  families  there  have  been  exterminated.  I  have 
lost  several  warm  friends.  Country  air  seems  to  be  the 
antidote  for  this  dreadful  scourge.  Outside  the  city — 
even  a  hundred  yards  beyond  the  corporation — it  is  as 
healthy  as  any  part  of  the  world.  Sick  persons,  brought 
from  the  city,  are  received  into  crowded  households,  and 
nursed  without  fear  of  contagion,  and  I  have  heard  of 
no  instance  of  the  fever  being  thus  contracted.* 

"  Four  weeks  ago  I  left  this  county  to  ride  the  circuit 
of  the  first  judicial  district,  about  150  miles.  I  returned 
three  days  since,  and  now  enjoy,  I  assure  you,  the  repose 
of  country  life.  Hunting  and  angling  constitute  our 
amusements.  The  neighborhood  is  wealthy  and  popu 
lous.  We  meet  in  the  morning,  hunt  or  fish  until  din 
ner-time,  and  then  turn  in  to  the  house  of  the  nearest 

*  The  disease,  now  to  some  extent  localized,  would  be  more  terri 
ble  to  an  invading  enemy  than  "an  army  with  banners."  Properly 
viewed,  in  some  contingencies,  it  would  be  a  source  of  strength  to 
the  South. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  87 

planter,  and  never  fail  to  get  a  good  dinner,  with  the 
choicest  wines.  The  planters  here  are  famous  for  their 
claret  and  Madeira.  Many  fine  packs  of  hounds  are  kept, 
and  they  are  always  at  our  service." 

To  his  Brother. 

"Natchez,  December  llth,  1823. 

"  I  am  writing,  thank  God,  once  more  from  our  own 
office.  Three  weeks  since  a  severe  frost  banished  the 
epidemic,  and  we  returned.  It  was  painful  to  see  the 
desolation  of  the  streets.  I  looked  in  vain  for  faces  with 
which  I  had  been  familiar.  A  gloom  and  sadness  per 
vaded  the  whole  place,  and  when  friends  met  they  press 
ed  each  other's  hands  in  silence,  or  averted  their  faces 
and  burst  into  tears.  There  was  a  chasm  in  every  fam 
ily,  and  ah !  how  many  bleeding  hearts ! 

"  This,  however,  is  disappearing  under  the  rush  and 
tumult  of  business  and  new-comers.  Even  the  theatre 
has  opened,  parties  announced,  and  an  air  of  reckless 
ness  prevails.  There  is  certainly  more  dissipation  and 
extravagance  than  we  had  this  time  last  year.  This  is, 
perhaps,  one  effect  of  epidemics.  It  was  observed  when 
London  was  plague-stricken.  It  is  seen  in  cities  during 
a  siege,  and  I  hear  curious  details  of  the  saturnalia,  the 
debauchery  and  excesses,  that  occurred  here  when  the 
fever  was  at  its  worst — wine-parties  after  funerals,  card- 
playing  on  coffins,  shrouded  figures  whirling  in  the  waltz ! 

"  I  am  incessantly  occupied  bringing  up  our  business. 
It  shall  never  be  said  of  me  that  business  placed  in  my 
hands  has  been  neglected.  Perseverance  and  punctu 
ality  are  indispensable  in  our  arduous  profession." 


88  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE   OF 


CHAPTER  V. 

His  Marriage. — Death  of  Mr.  Griffith. — John  T.  M'Murran. — His 
first  Canvass. — John  Hawkins  and  Brown  Bess. — Is  elected  to  the 
Legislature. — The  Indian  Question. — William  Haile. — The  Choc- 
taws  and  Chickasaws. — Appointed  Chancellor. — His  Views  of  the 
Chancery  System. — Thomas  B.  Eeed. — Quitman  and  the  U.  S. 
Senate.— George  Poindexter  and  Robert  H.  Adams. — Quitman's 
Views  of  State  Policy. — He  visits  the  North. — Letters  from  New 
York. — Political  Parties  and  religious  Societies. — Returns  home. 
— Declares  for  States'  Rights. — Candidate  for  the  Convention. — 
Opposition. — His  bold  Defense. — An  elective  Judiciary. — His 
Course  in  the  Convention. 

ON  the  24th  of  December,  1824,  he  married  Eliza,  only 
daughter  of  the  late  Henry  Turner,  a  native  of  Virginia, 
whose  parents  removed  to  Kentucky,  whence  he  came, 
when  a  young  man,  to  New  Orleans  and  Natchez,  and, 
by  his  enterprise  and  sagacity,  accumulated  a  large  es 
tate.  He  died  at  Woodlands,  near  Natchez,  many  years 
since,  leaving  a  name  and  reputation  greatly  respected. 
By  this  marriage  Quitman  came  into  possession  of  a  large 
estate,  but  continued  to  devote  himself  sedulously  and 
successfully  to  his  profession. 

To  liis  Brother. 

"Natchez,  December  6th,  1827. 

"I  have  met  with  a  heavy  and  unexpected  calamity. 
I  have  lost  my  best  friend  and  partner, William  B.  Griffith. 
He  died  on  the  28th  of  October  from  apoplectic  convul 
sions.  He  had  been  slightly  ill  for  several  weeks  of 
bilious  fever,  which  resulted  in  jaundice,  and  the  day  be 
fore  his  death  he  was  seized  violently  with  convulsions, 
which  succeeded  each  other  rapidly  until  he  expired.  I 
heard  his  last  words,  and  closed  his  dying  eyes.  Poor 


JOHN   A.  QUITAIAjST.  89 

fellow !  with  him  I  have  lost  my  first  benefactor  in  this 
country,  the  bar  its  brightest  ornament,  society  one  of 
its  most  valuable  members.  Long  will  it  be  before  his 
place  can  be  tilled.  lie  has  left  behind  him  an  amiable 
wife  (daughter  of  Judge  Turner)  and  two  children.  I 
am  almost  worn  down  with  this  sad  dispensation,  and 
the  accumulation  of  business  it  has  thrown  upon  me.  I 
have  received  as  a  partner  John  T.  M'Murran,  a  native 
of  Ohio,  who  has  been  a  year  in  our  office,  and  bids  fair 
to  be  an  eminent  lawyer." 

This  partnership  proved  fortunate  and  profitable.  Mr. 
M'Murran,  who  was  then  a  very  young  man,  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania,  but  more  recently  from  Ohio,  of  singularly 
modest  and  prepossessing  address,  rose  rapidly  in  the 
profession,  and  soon  attained  its  highest  rank.  He  was 
strongly  attached  to  Quitman,  and  remained  through  life 
his  devoted  friend  and  counselor. 

During  this  period,  as  in  after  life,  he  contributed  lib 
erally  to  the  education  of  some  of  his  relatives.  To  one 
of  them  he  thus  wrote — let  the  young  student  carefully 
peruse  it :  « 

To  his  Nephew. 

"Natchez,  June  20th,  1825. 

"  I  am  much  pleased  to  hear  of  your  arrival  at  Hart- 
wick,  and  that  you  are  determined  to  employ  your  oppor 
tunities  to  the  best  advantage.  Write  freely  and  often, 
and  tell  me  what  profession  you  wish  to  adopt.  Treat 
me  with  the  utmost  candor,  and  without  reserve.  Upon 
the  profession  must  depend  your  line  of  studies.  I  wish 
you  to  be  thorough  in  all  you  undertake.  I  have  not 
offered  you  my  assistance  to  leave  you  on  the  threshold. 
Be  industrious,  be  economical,  be  virtuous  and  honorable, 
and  I  will  stand  by  you  always.  I  have  been  led  to  be 
lieve  that  you  prefer  the  law.  My  partialities  are  in  its 
favor.  In  our  country  it  opens  the  road  to  distinction 
and  wealth.  Remember,  however,  it  is  laborious,  and  re 
quires  unremitted  industry.  There  is  no  position  in  so 
ciety  so  abject  and  mean  as  that  of  a  mere  pettifogger, 
and  none  more  elevated  and  noble  than  that  of  the  honest 


90  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

and  distinguished  lawyer.  Persevere;  few  men  of  good 
intellect  have  ever  failed  of  success  in  any  pursuit  to 
which  they  have  given  their  whole  mind  and  heart. 
There  is  a  very  seductive  kind  of  mental  dissipation,  to 
which  young  men  too  often  give  way;  it  consists  in 
changing  their  aims  and  objects  too  often — a  kind  of 
waiting  upon  Providence.  They  make  as  little  real  prog 
ress  as  the  mariner  who  sails  about  the  ocean  without  a 
chart,  driven  by  the  shifting  winds ;  they  pursue  every 
shadow  that  flits  across  their  path.  Such  persons  always 
fail,  because  they  have  no  ultimate  aim.  The  young  man 
Avho  sets  out  upon  the  journey  of  life  should  fix  his  eye 
upon  some  great  object,  and  then  resolutely  and  perse- 
veringly  exert  all  his  energies  to  accomplish  it.  If  the 
tide  of  adversity  sets  against  his  progress,  he  should  row 
the  harder ;  if  difficulties  intervene,  grapple  with  and 
overcome  them.  Keep  this  in  view,  and  you  may  com 
mence  your  career  with  many  advantages.  In  the  mean 
time,  consult  your  venerable  instructor  in  all  things  ;  de 
termine  to  be  first  among  your  fellow-students ;  write 
me  once  a  month ;  choose  your  topics ;  do  not  try  to  be 
stiff  and  learned ;  any  thing  that  amuses  and  interests 
you  will  be  pleasing  to  me ;  above  all  things,  be  unre 
served.  I  would  not  have  you  an  imitator  or  a  parasite, 
"but  it  is  a  good  plan  for  a  student  to  select  some  model 
from  the  great  men  of  the  past,  or  from  those  that  figure 
in  contemporary  history,  and  resolve  to  be  equal  to  him. 
Epaminondas  used  to  engross  my  affections,  but  of  all 
the  great  republicans  that  history  has  handed  down  to 
us,  I  now  most  admire  Cato  ;  he  was  willing  to  sacrifice 
not  only  his  person  but  his  reputation  and  character  in 
the  cause  of  liberty.* 

*  In  1856,  while  in  Congress,  he  thus  wrote  to  James  M.  Kennard, 
of  Natchez : 

"Mr  YOUNG-  FRIEND, — I  have  to-day  nominated  you  to  the  Presi 
dent  for  a  cadetship  at  West  Point.  I  will  soon  forward  your  com 
mission,  and  now  inclose  some  of  the  rules  that  govern  the  appoint 
ment.  The  delay  in  notifying  you  of  this  result  has  been  occasioned 
by  my  sense  of  duty,  to  give  ample  time  for  the  coming  in  of  similar 
applications  before  making  my  selection.  My  choice  has  fallen  on  you 
because,  from  your  appearance  and  high  recommendations,  I  believed 
you  would  do  credit  to  the  district,  to  the  state,  and  to  the  service,  as 
well  as  to  my  own  judgment  in  selecting  you  out  of  so  many  worthy 


JOUN  A.  QUmiAN.  91 

In  1827  Capt.  Quitman  became  a  candidate  to  repre 
sent  the  city  of  Natchez  and  county  of  Adams  in  the 
Legislature,  his  principal  competitor  being  Col.  Adam  L. 
Bingaman,  a  native  of  the  county,  and  a  man  of  talents, 
fortune,  controlling  family  influence,  and  great  personal 
popularity.  It  was  necessary  to  canvass  with  energy 
against  so  formidable  an  opponent,  and  our  young  law 
yer  entered  with  spirit  into  the  contest.  He  traversed 
every  section  of  the  county,  and  just  before  the  election 
attended  a  large  gathering  at  Hering's  store,  the  ex 
treme  precinct,  near  the  Franklin  County  line.  He  went 
in  his  usual  neat  dress,  but  soon  threw  off  his  coat,  and 
astonished  the  crowd  by  his  feats  in  wrestling,  leaping, 
and  boxing.  A  foot-race  was  got  up,  a  sweepstake  for 
six,  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards,  and  he  beat  the  fastest. 
The  heavy  weights  from  Hoggatt's  cotton-gin  were  on 
the  ground,  and  he  lifted  more,  at  arm's  length,  than 
the  strongest  man  present.  His  strength  of  arm  was 
remarkable.  By  this  time  a  fat  ox — the  prize  of  the 
day — was  driven  up,  the  target  fixed  at  sixty  yards,  and 
the  shooting  commenced.  There  were  several  expert 
riflemen  on  the  ground,  among  whom  was  the  noted 
John  Hawkins,  the  crack  shot  of  the  whole  country 
round.  No  one  would  shoot  against  him  and  "Brown 
Bess"  (as  he  called  his  favorite  rifle)  without  the  odds. 
To  the  astonishment  of  the  crowd,  Quitman  refused  the 
odds  and  took  an  even  chance.  The  contest  was  left  to 
them.  Hawkins's  pride  was  aroused,  and  he  shot  more  de 
liberately  than  usual.  Three  times  they  tried  their  skill, 
and  three  times  the  veteran  was  beaten.  He  seemed 
thunder-struck  and  grief-smitten,  angry  and  churlish.  At 

applicants.  I  shall  look  to  your  conduct  and  career  with  an  almost 
paternal  interest.  I  will  be  proud  to  hear  that  you  achieve  a  high 
position.  I  feel  authorized  to  require  of  you  every  effort  of  which  you 
arc  capable  to  meet  my  expectations.  Let  me  hear  from  you,  and  do 
not  fail  to  visit  me  here  on  your  way  to  West  Point." 


92  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

length,  however,  admiration  at  what  he  considered  some 
thing  almost  supernatural,  got  the  better  of  him,  and  he 
stepped  up  to  Quitman,  and,  taking  off  his  hat,  said, 
"  Sir,  you  have  done  what  no  other  man  has  been  able 
to  do.  The  beef  is  yours,  and  John  Hawkins  is  yours, 
too."  Quitman  took  his  hand,  praised  his  shooting,  ca 
ressed  Brown  Bess,  presented  him  the  beef,  and  pro 
posed  a  general  treat.  The  crowd  pitched  in  with  three 
cheers  for  Quitman,  and  from  that  moment  the  contest 
was  decided.  He  was  chosen  by  a  large  majority.  He 
ran  altogether  independent  of  politics,  and  upon  his  per 
sonal  popularity,  as  he  always  preferred  to  do.  He 
never  was  a  partisan ;  he  despised  the  arts  of  the  poli 
tician,  and  had  no  taste  for  the  intrigues  and  machinery 
of  party. 

He"  was  placed  on  the  Judiciary  Committee,  which  con 
sisted  of  Win.  L.  Sharkey,  P.  R.  R.  Pray,  and  other  able 
jurists,  and  took,  it  would  appear  from  the  journals,  an 
active  part  in  the  House.  Among  other  things,  he  advo- 
vated  a  memorial  to  Congress  for  the  extinction  of  the 
Indian  title  within  the  state.  It  was  likewise  proposed 
to  extend  civil  process,  by  statute,  over  the  Indian  ter 
ritory,  abolishing  the  jurisdictions  of  their  chiefs,  and 
thus  paving  the  way  for  their  voluntary  removal  to  the 
fine  domain  assigned  to  their  tribe  on  the  waters  of  the 
Arkansas  and  Red  Rivers.  There  was,  however,  a  strong 
opposition  to  this  measure,  especially  among  the  religious 
classes,  prompted,  chiefly,  by  missionaries  quartered  (and 
very  comfortably  quartered)  among  the  Indians  by  so 
cieties  located  in  Boston  and  New  York.  These  men, 
aliens  to  our  section  in  birth  and  feeling,  secretly  opposed 
to  our  domestic  institutions,  and  having  no  pride  in  our 
progress,  operated  on  the  influential  bodies  with  whom 
they  were  associated,  whose  conscientious  scruples  and 
sympathies  were  aroused  by  ex  parte  statements,  and 


JOHN   A.    QUITMAN.  03 

tints  a  formidable  opposition  was  organized,  even  in  Mis 
sissippi,  to  what  was  called  the  Indian  policy  of  Jack 
son's  administration.  The  proposed  measure  was  at 
that  session  defeated,  but  in  1830  it  was  again  brought 
forward  by  the  Hon.  Win.  Haile,  of  Hancock,*  and  passed 
with  but  one  dissenting  voice.  In  1830  the  Choctaws 
accepted  a  liberal  proposition  from  the  United  States 
for  their  lands,  which  were  soon  organized  into  counties, 
and  shortly  afterward  the  Chickasaws  followed  their  ex 
ample.  Those  counties  now  comprise  a  large  portion 
of  the  population  and  agricultural  wealth  of  the  state. 
It  is  satisfactory  to  reflect  that  our  red  brethren  have 
profited,  as  it  was  intended  they  should,  by  the  ex 
change,  and  have  become  well-organized  nationalities, 
governed  by  humane  and  enlightened  laws,  and  will 
soon  enter,  it  is  hoped,  on  terms  of  perfect  equality,  our 
family  of  united  and  sovereign  states.  The  states  of 
Mississippi  and  Alabama  should  never  lose  their  interest 
in  these  fraternal  tribes.  Natives  of  our  soil — born  un 
der  the  same  stars  and  skies — having  shed  their  blood, 
in  critical  times,  freely  in  our  defense — and  having  laws 
and  institutions  identical  with  our  own — it  is  our  duty 
to  maintain  friendly  relations,  and  their  political  integ 
rity  as  sovereign  states. 

Mr.  Quitman,  while  in  the  Legislature,  effected  many 
reforms  in  the  practice  in  chancery  and  courts  of  law, 
in  the  various  branches  of  the  state  government,  the  law 
of  administrators  and  guardians,  and  many  other  useful 
measures. 

Just  before  the  close  of  the  session,  he  was  invited  by 
joint  resolution  to  prepare  a  militia  system  for  the  state. 

A  vacancy  soon  after  happening  in  the  office  of  chan- 

*  Previously  a  representative  in  Congress  from  Mississippi.  He  was 
a  man  of  genius  and  of  noble  impulses,  devoted  to  his  native  South. 
He  died  soon  after  in  Wilkinson  County. 


94  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

cell  or,  he  was  appointed  by  the  governor,  and  when  the 
Legislature  assembled,  he  was  unanimously  elected  by 
that  body. 

He  was  a  warm  friend  of  the  chancery  system,  and  it 
was  retained  by  the  convention  called  to  revise  the  Con 
stitution  solely  through  his  influence,  and  by  the  confi 
dence  reposed  in  him  as  chancellor.  Jan.  12th,  1829,  he 
thus  wrote  Hon.  Franklin  E.  Plummer,  then  a  leading 
member  of  the  Legislature :  "  I  regret  the  inclination  of 
your  mind  in  relation  to  the  Chancery  Court.  I  will 
not  now  discuss  the  matter,  lest  I  expose  myself  to  the 
imputation  of  improper  interference  in  which  I  am  per 
sonally  interested.  I  may,  however,  say  that,  in  the  in 
fancy  of  our  state,  we  should  set  the  example  of  sober 
and  well-considered  legislation  to  our  successors.  We 
have  much  to  answer  for  to  posterity,  and  it  will  per 
haps  bless  us  for  acts  which  short-sighted  contempora 
ries  condemn.  Of  all  the  Republican  characters  which 
history  has  handed  down  to  us,  I  most  admire  Cato,  who 
was  willing  to  sacrifice  not  only  his  person,  but  his  repu 
tation  for  the  sake  of  liberty.  I  have  just  read  the  re 
port  of  the  Secretary  of  "War,  and  cordially  approve  of 
his  plan  for  removing  the  Indians  from  the  limits  of  the 
states.  Our  Legislature  should  act  upon  the  suggestion, 
and  extend  process  into  the  Indian  territory,  and  impose 
taxes  on  white  persons  residing  therein.  Drive  off  the 
Northern  missionaries  and  the  lawless  whites  in  the  In 
dian  nation,  and  we  shall  have  no  trouble  in  removing 
them.  We  have  nothing  new  here,  except  that  the 
members  of  Congress  from  Georgia  and  South  Carolina 
have  appeared  at  the  Capitol  in  homespun.  This  is  my 
plan  for  resisting  the  tariff." 

His  militia  code,  a  work  of  great  labor,  was  adopted, 
and,  as  he  refused  compensation,  the  Legislature,  on  mo 
tion  of  Mr.  J.  F.  H.  Claiborne,  member  from  Adams  Coun- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  95 

ty,  presented  him  with  a  splendid  copy  of  the  writings 
of  Jefferson,  thus  recognizing  him  as  a  disciple  of  that 
illustrious  statesman. 

In  1830  the  lion.  Thomas  B.  Reed,  a  U.  S.  senator 
from  the  state  of  Mississippi,  died.  He  had  come  to 
this  state  at  an  early  age  from  Kentucky,  with  his  fam 
ily,  in  very  limited  circumstances.  He  was  a  fine-look 
ing,  commanding  personage,  of  florid  complexion,  but 
never  enjoying  good  health.  He  was  irritable  and  some 
what  haughty  in  his  manners,  and  never  personally  pop 
ular  ;  but,  by  his  great  ability,  he  placed  himself  at  the 
head  of  the  bar,  and  rose  to  bo  attorney  general.  He 
had  violent  enemies,  as  most  men  of  superior  talents 
have ;  but,  after  a  struggle  characterized  by  unusual  bit 
terness,  he  had  been  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States.  In  that  body  his  first  speech,  on  the  extension 
of  the  U.  S.  Circuit  Court  system,  gave  him  a  high  repu 
tation,  and  he  was  advancing  to  the  first  class,  when  his 
health  rapidly  declined. 

To  fill  his  vacancy,  George  Poindexter,  Joshua  Chilcls, 
James  C.  "VVilkins,  Charles  B.  Green,  David  Dickson, 
William  Haile,  and  Chancellor  Quitman,  all  of  them  dis 
tinguished  citizens,  had  been  proposed.  The  follow 
ing  letter  was  addressed  to  Judge  Quitman  by  one  of 
the  representatives  from  Natchez  and  the  county  of 
Adams. 

From  J.F.H.  Claiborne. 

"Soldier's  Retreat,  Oct.  20th,  1830. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — Your  name  is  mentioned  in  connec 
tion  with  the  senatorial  election.  I  have  mentioned  it 
myself  in  correspondence  with  members  of  the  Legisla 
ture.  Do  you  desire  to  be  a  candidate  ?  If  so,  it  will 
be  expedient  and  proper  to  take  bold  ground  on  the 
leading  questions  of  the  day.  You  are  not  regarded 
strictly  as  a  party  man,  but  your  sentiments  are  believed 
to  be  in  harmony  with  the  great  body  of  the  people. 


96  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

As  chancellor,  I  admire  your  course  in  standing  aloof 
from  politics;  but  if  you  become  a  candidate,  not  pledges, 
but  avowals  become  necessary.  My  intention  is  to  vote 
for  George  Poindexter.  He  desires  the  place,  and  it  is 
due  to  his  services  and  great  abilities.  In  your  general 
views  I  think  you  harmonize ;  I  know  you  do  as  to  the 
relative  powers  of  the  state  and  federal  governments, 
and  the  dangerous  propensity  of  the  latter  to  usurp 
power.  This  is  the  last  opportunity  we  shall  have  to 
recognize  the  services  of  Poindexter.  He  is  old  and  in 
firm,  but  his  intellect  shines  as  brilliantly  as  ever,  and  his 
name  will  give  strength  to  our  section.  I  know  he  has 
bitter  and  powerful  enemies  in  this  county,  and  that  my 
support  of  him  will  stimulate  my  opponents  and  alienate 
many  of  my  friends ;  but  he  was  the  schoolmate,  and,  in 
after  life  and  in  troublesome  times,  the  friend  of  my  fa 
ther.  I  know,  too,  that  he  is  a  Republican  of  the  school 
of  Jefferson,  and  I  will  vote  for  him  to  the  last,  if  I  sac 
rifice  myself  by  so  doing.  I  have  already  heard  of 
menaces,  but  how  little  they  know  me  wTho  fancy  that 
threats  or  opposition  ever  changed  my  purpose  !  From 
the  past,  and  from  the  rebellious  blood  I  inherit,  they 
should  know  me  better.  You  are  my  second  choice. 
If  Poindexter  can  not  be  elected,  and  you  authorize  your 
name  to  be  brought  forward,  I  will  gladly  support  you. 
I  do  not  believe  our  friend  Colonel  \Yilkins  desires 
the  place.  I  Iknow  he  can  not  be  elected  as  interests 
now  stand,  and  I  have  so  informed  him  in  the  pres 
ence  of  Colonel  Campbell,  and  given  him  names  and 
reasons. 

Judge  Quitman  replied  as  follows : 

ToJ.F.IL  Claiborne. 

"Monmouth,  Oct.  25th,  1830. 

"  In  answering  your  last,  I  will  commence  at  home. 
Your  friendly  feelings  have  associated  my  name,  in  a  cer 
tain  contingency,  with  the  senatorial  election.  A  num 
ber  of  partial  friends  from  other  counties,  and  among 
them  some  of  your  fellow-members  of  the  Legislature, 
have  hinted  the  same  thing,  and  I  believe,  if  my  political 
sentiments  upon  the  great  national  questions  which  are 


JOHN   A.  QTimiAN.  97 

now  discussed  were  better  understood,  I  should  stand  a, 
respectable  poll.  I  have,  however,  thus  far  succeeded 
by  adhering  to  a  rule,  from  which  I  must  not  now  de 
part — to  establish  my  reputation  in  the  office  conferred 
upon  me  before  I  seek  another.  The  people  expect  that 
I  will  faithfully  perform  the  responsible  duties  now  con 
fided  to  me,  not  only  the  duties  of  chancellor,  but  re 
porting  my  own  decisions,  and  their  expectations  shall 
be  fulfilled  if  in  my  power.  Besides,  much  of  my  future 
reputation  will  depend  upon  these  official  opinions,  and 
I  am  content  to  abide  by  the  judgment  which  shall  be 
pronounced  upon  them,  not  for  the  evidences  of  superior 
talent  they  are  to  exhibit,  but  for  the  marks  of  industry 
and  a  conscientious  regard  for  the  rights  of  suitors  which 
they  shall  manifest.  Under  these  circumstances,!  would 
not,  I  assure  you,  become  a  candidate,  even  though  my 
election  was  certain.  I  am  induced  by  your  frankness 
thus  to  give  you  my  notions,  the  loud  thoughts  of  a  con 
stituent  and  friend,  who  will  ever  counsel  with  and  ad 
vise  you,  and  never  quarrel,  although  you  may  differ 
from  him.  I  note  what  you  say  about  Mr.  Poindexter. 
I  respect  the  feeling  that  makes  you  prefer  your  father's 
friend.  I  marked  this  as  one  of  your  characteristics' 
when  you  were  in  my  office,  and  it  first  attracted  me  to 
you.  I,  too,  would  prefer  Poindexter  if  he  had  health 
and  his  former  vigor.  Our  friends  M'Niel  and  Merrick 
both  saw  him  at  Louisville,  and  they  assure  me  that  he 
is  unable  to  stand  or  move.  What  are  we  to  do  ?  We 
must  have  an  intellectual  man.  R.  J.  Walker  tells  me 
he  will  not  be  a  candidate.  What  is  to  be  done  but  to 
take  Wilkins  ?  You  are  wrong  in  thinking  that  he  does 
not  desire  the  place.  I  am  sure  he  does.  Whether  all 
his  doctrines  square  with  your  and  my  views,  is  proper 
subject  for  inquiry." 

Before  the  Legislature  assembled  the  opposition  to  Mr. 
Poindexter  had  concentrated  on  Robert  H.  Adams,  Esq., 
a  distinguished  member  of  the  Natchez  bar,  who,  at  the 
general  election  a  few  months  previous,  had  been  elected, 
with  Mr.  Claiborne,  to  represent  the  county  of  Adams 
and  city  of  Natchez  in  the  Legislature.  He  did  not  take 

VOL.  L— E 


98  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

his  seat  as  representative,  but  appeared  there  as  a  candi 
date  for  the  Senate  of  the  United  States.  He  was  what 
was  then  called  "  a  Jackson  man"  in  his  politics ;  but 
the  influence  of  the  Natchez  bar,  of  the  banks,  the  com 
mercial  interest,  then  chiefly  concentrated  at  Natchez, 
and  of  the  combined  opposition,  were  brought  into  ac 
tion  in  his  favor.  They  had  never  before  been  exerted 
for  "  a  Jackson  man."  Besides  this,  the  deplorable  con 
dition  of  Mr.  Poindexter's  health  was  urged  as  an  argu 
ment  for  the  election  of  Mr.  Adams.  When  the  Legis 
lature  assembled,  several  of  Mr.  Poindexter's  friends, 
finding  they  were  to  be  hard  pressed,  urged  him  to  visit 
Jackson,  the  seat  of  government.  His  reply  was  charac 
teristic  : 

11  Ashwood  Place,  Wilkinson  Co.,  Dec.  25th,  1829. 
"MY  DEAR  SIR, — I  had  written  you,  before  I  received 
yours  of  the  22d,  on  the  subject  to  which  it  relates.  I 
differ  with  you  entirely  as  to  the  effect  of  a  visit  to  Jack 
son.  It  would  be  degrading  to  both  parties.  On  my 
part,  it  would  manifest  a  mean  solicitude  for  office  which, 
thank  God,  I  do  not  feel ;  and,  on  the  part  of  the  electors, 
it  would  imply  that  they  might  be  led  from  one  man  to 
another,  with  perfect  ease,  if  one  would  only  take  the 
proper  pains.  Show  yourself  in  person,  flatter  their  van 
ity,  and  convince  them  by  actual  inspection  of  your  phys 
ical  powers,  and  you  will  find  them  the  most  docile  crea 
tures  on  earth.  If  I  had  no  public  character  to  rest  my 
claims  on,  if  I  had  rendered  no  service  to  the  state,  if 
I  were  entirely  unknown  as  a  politician  and  a  jurist,  I 
would  eagerly  substitute  for  merit  personal  attentions, 
urgent  solicitations,  and  disgusting  professions  and  prot 
estations.  The  line  of  conduct  which  I  have  marked 
out  for  myself  is  founded  on  moral  virtue,  and  supports 
the  dignity  of  the  senatorial  character.  The  other  course 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  99 

is  sycophantic  and  demoralizing  in  all  its  tendencies. 
You  will  find  that  no  gentleman  who  intended  to  vote 
for  me  will  decline  doing  so  because  I  do  not  choose  to 
approach  him  with  personal  importunities.  Those  who 
do  not  mean  to  vote  for  me  may  make  my  remaining  at 
home  a  convenient  excuse.  There  can  be  no  mistake 
about  the  state  of  my  health.  If  I  am  worthy  of  the 
high  trust  of  senator  in  Congress,  I  certainly  may  be 
trusted  to  tell  the  truth  as  to  the  state  of  my  health.  On 
former  occasions  I  have  rejected  important  offices,  be 
cause  my  health  would  not  justify  my  accepting  them. 
This  very  office  of  senator  was  offered  to  me  in  1825, 
but  I  could  not  fulfill  the  duties,  and  it  was  declined. 
But  if  other  evidence  is  wanted  concerning  my  health, 
my  friends  and  neighbors,  who  will  be  at  Jackson,  and 
my  physicians  will  testify  to  it.  If  I  had  the  strength 
of  my  overseer  (a  very  stout  man)  I  would  not  make  my 
personal  appearance  at  Jackson  until  after  the  vote  is 
taken.  I  should  then  take  great  pleasure  in  paying  my 
respects  to  the  members.  Candidates  without  merit, 
who  are  willing  to  rely  on  management,  will  honor  the 
members  with  their  company  and  conversation  on  all  oc 
casions,  and  will  be  call  things  to  all  men,'  that  they  may 
gain  favor  with  a  few.  If,  then,  my  friends  think  that 
my  presence  is  a  sine  qua  non,  they  may  drop  my  name 
as  a  candidate.  You  seem  to  doubt  whether  the  senator 

from will  vote  against  me.     I  can  assure   you  I 

should  as  soon  expect  to  see  a  white  crow  as  to  obtain 

the  vote  of  any  man  in  this  state  of  the  name  of . 

Huston  and  others  are  laboring  in  their  vocation.  They 
expect  to  get  a  share  of  Mr.  Adams's  practice — all  pure 
patriotism  and  love  of  country !  A  Clay  man  support 
ing  a  Jackson  man,  and  the  Jackson  men  of  Adams  Coun 
ty  electing  a  Clay  man  to  the  Legislature.  '  Heads  I 
win,  tails  you  lose.'  The  good  people  of  Mississippi 


100  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

have  been  duped  and  ridden  for  many  years  past,  and  I 
suppose  they  are  not  yet  sufficiently  gulled. 

"Your  friend,  most  truly,          GEO.  POINDEXTER. 
"Hon.  J.  F.  H.  Claiborne,  Jackson." 

The  Legislature  did  not  take  this  high-toned  view  of 
the  case,  and  Mr.  Robert  H.  Adams  was  elected.  He 
was,  it  is  believed,  a  native  of  Tennessee.  At  all  events, 
he  came  from  that  state  to  Mississippi,  and  took  at  once 
a  high  position  at  the  bar.  He  was  in  the  vigor  of  life, 
and,  though  not  a  man  of  liberal  education,  had  been  en 
dowed  by  nature  with  extraordinary  powers.  He  was 
both  argumentative  and  eloquent,  and  as  an  advocate 
has,  perhaps,  never  had  an  equal  at  the  bar  of  that  state. 
He  served  but  one  session,  and  died  soon  after  his  re 
turn  home  from  Washington.  At  the  ejisuing  session 
of  the  Legislature,  George  Poindexter  was  elected  to 
fill  his  place. 

Chancellor  Quitman,  though  properly  taking  no  act 
ive  part  in  politics,  and  occupied  almost  daily  with  the 
responsibilities  of  his  office,  nevertheless  found  time  to 
think  a  good  deal  on  public  concerns. 

ToJ.F.H.  Claiborne. 

"Monmouth,  Oct.  18th,  1830. 

"  DEAR  CLAIBORNE, — I  have  put  off  a  further  reply  to 
your  letter  of  the  25th  August  with  a  view  to  minute  the 
amendments  of  which  our  code  is  susceptible,  as  they 
might  occur  to  me  from  time  to  time ;  but  I  have  found 
myself  so  engrossed  by  the  preparation  of  my  decrees 
and  opinions  for  publication,  and  by  other  official  busi 
ness,  that  I  am  still,  in  a  measure,  unprepared,  and  must 
answer  you  now  only  in  part. 

"  It  will  be  certain  that  an  amendment  to  the  Consti 
tution  will  be  necessary  in  a  few  years.  The  acquisition 
of  the  Indian  territory  will  make  this  imperative,  and  the 
only  question  is,  whether  the  present  is  a  more  suitable 
time  than  the  period  when  the  actual  necessity  shall  oc- 


JOHN   A.    QTimiA^.  101 


cur.  It  seems  to  me  that  the'  'absence  of  pplUi^rT'e::  ?itc- 
lucnt,  and  the  serenity  of  our'h,onzoij,:pGiiit  o'ut  i.ne  pres 
ent  as  the  most  suitable  moment  to  careen  the  ship  of 
state.  Talent  will  be  called  to  the  performance  of  this 
duty  without  regard  to  party.  We  know  not  how  long 
this  quiet  atmosphere  will  continue.  Storms  may  arise  in 
a  few  years,  by  which  the  scum  and  dregs  of  society  may 
be  agitated  to  the  surface,  and  disturb  and  destroy  the 
pure  clement  we  now  enjoy.  Let  us  do,  then,  what  may 
be  necessary,  while  we  may  do  it  in  peace. 

"The  2d  and  3d  articles  of  the  compact  limiting  the 
number  of  judges,  and  the  9th  section  of  the  3d  article 
limiting  the  number  of  representatives  to  36  until  our 
white  population  amounts  to  80,000,  and  yet  requiring 
that  each  county  shall  have  a  representative,  are  incom 
patible  with  the  acquisition  and  organization  of  new  and 
extensive  territory.  Even  setting  aside  the  necessity 
of  the  matter,  policy  requires  some  amendments  to  the 
charter.  Our  judicial  system  is  exceptionable.  The  trial 
of  questions  in  the  last  resort  should  be  vested  in  an  inde 
pendent,  impartial,  and  unprejudiced  tribunal,  composed 
of  judges  in  number  sufficient  to  avoid  as  well  the  frailty 
or  errors  of  one  individual,  as  the  great  division  of  re 
sponsibility  where  there  are  too  many  judges.  Three  is, 
in  my  opinion,  the  golden  number.  When  a  set  of  men 
are  called  on  to  decide  upon  their  own  errors,  we  must 
expect  to  find  some  bias  toward  former  impressions,  or 
a  disposition  to  question  the  accuracy  of  one  who  has 
detected  a  flaw. 

"  I  likewise  am  in  favor  of  biennial  sessions  of  the  Leg 
islature,  and  some  change  made  to  prevent  important 
questions  of  legislation  from  being  made  subsidiary  to 
the  election  of  a  senator  or  a  judge.  Our  whole  bloody 
criminal  code  calls  for  radical  revision.  I  sec  no  cure 
for  it  but  amputation.  The  limb  should  be  cut  off  from 
the  body  politic,  and  a  scion  of  less  barbarous  growth 
engrafted  thereon.  For  the  many  grades  of  moral  tur 
pitude  which  are  considered  proper  subjects  for  the  de 
nunciation  of  the  laws,  many  and  various  grades  of  pun 
ishment  are  required,  and  the  punishment  of  all  crimes, 
except,  perhaps,  those  of  the  deepest  dye,  should  be  so 
inflicted  as  to  leave  room  for  amendment.  It  were  bet- 


102  V  L}F)2   :4KI>   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 


'  death'  In  all  cases  than  to  brand  the 
it  ;\YT.,trh  atl  ^.rd^libfc  stigma  and  turn  him  loose  upon 
society.  Yet  for  all  the  various  classes  of  crime  known 
to  our  laws,  we  have  but  four  kinds  of  punishment  —  the 
whipping-post,  the  pillory,  the  hot  iron,  and  halter.  Im 
prisonment  in  the  common  jail  is  seldom  resorted  to. 
When  the  courts  have  the  alternative  they  rarely  order 
imprisonment,  owing  to  its  expense  to  the  state.  The 
prisoner  must  be  supported  at  considerable  cost,  while 
his  labor,  which,  under  a  better  system,  might  be  profit 
ably  employed,  is  wholly  lost.  The  penitentiary  is  the 
remedy.  This  would  enable  us  to  graduate  punishments, 
and  would  be  followed  by  more  certainty  in  the  convic 
tion  of  offenders.  Many  crimes  of  dangerous  character  — 
negro  stealing  and  forgery,  for  example  —  which  are  now 
capital,  go  unpunished,  in  consequence  of  the  disinclina 
tion  of  juries  to  find  a  verdict  of  guilty.  In  my  opinion, 
the  man  who  shall  succeed  in  introducing  the  peniten 
tiary  system  in  this  state  will  deserve  the  highest  honor. 
Were  I  in  search  of  popularity,  I  would  feel  certain  of 
success  with  such  a  subject.  It  is  not  a  mere  experi 
ment.  Good  management  will  enable  the  system  to  more 
than  support  itself. 

"  Let  me  urge  upon  you,  by  all  means,  the  necessity  of 
a  law  to  prevent  and  punish  the  circulation  of  incendiary 
pamphlets,  etc.,  in  this  state." 

At  the  session  of  the  Legislature  of  1830,  the  great 
question  of  interest  was  the  extension  of  the  laws  of  Mis 
sissippi  over  the  Indian  tribes  within  their  limits.  The 
constitutionality  and  justice  of  the  measure  were  boldly 
denied,  very  generally,  by  the  opponents  of  the  national 
administration.  Chancellor  Quitman  was  consulted  on 
the  subject,  and  replied  in  the  following  characteristic 
letter  : 

ToJ.F.H.  Clailorne. 

"Monmouth,  Jan.  8th,  1830. 

"DEAR  CLAIBORNE,  —  I  regret  that  we  did  not  meet 
before  your  departure  for  Jackson.  I  had  much  to  con 
fer  with  you  about,  and  could  have  done  so  more  satis- 


JOHN   A.  QTJITMAN.  103 

factorily  than  in  writing.  You  ask  my  opinion  upon  the 
constitutional  power  of  the  General  Assembly  to  tax  and 
otherwise  legislate  for  the  Indians  within  our  limits.  I 
take  this  view,  briefly,  of  the  question.  By  the  laws  of 
nature,  no  portion  of  the  human  race  have  a  right  to  ap 
propriate  to  themselves  a  greater  part  of  the  surface  of 
the  earth  than  is  necessary,  with  the  aid  of  agriculture, 
for  their  comfortable  maintenance.  This  is  the  funda 
mental  principle  of  the  right,  claimed  and  exercised  by 
European  nations  upon  the  discovery  of  this  continent, 
to  appropriate  portions  of  it  to  their  own  use,  and  a  denial 
of  the  right  would  invalidate  their  and  our  title.  The 
United  States  claims  federal  jurisdiction  over  the  whole 
territory  within  its  boundaries.  The  states  severally 
claim  municipal  jurisdiction  over  their  respective  limits, 
and  over  all  persons  within  the  same,  without  exception 
or  distinction.  By  what  principle,  then,  are  the  Indians 
exempt  from  this  authority  ?  The  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  is  silent  upon  the  subject.  It  only  pro 
vides  that  Congress  may  regulate  commerce  with  the  In 
dian  tribes.  All  other  powers  are  reserved  to  the  states. 
When  not  restricted  by  the  federal  Constitution,  they 
have  absolute  powers.  Mississippi  could  only  be  admit 
ted  into  the  Union  upon  an  equal  footing  with  the  other 
states.  The  power  of  Massachusetts  and  New  York  to 
tax  their  Indians  is  not  questioned.  Our  state  has  made 
no  treaty  with  the  Indians,  by  which  she  is  trammeled  in 
this  respect.  Where,  then,  are  the  restraints  upon  our 
sovereign  right  to  tax  and  legislate  for  all  persons  within 
our  limits  ?  Because  the  United  States  has  treated  with 
the  Choctaws  for  cessions  of  their  soil,  are  we  to  consid 
er  them  independent  nations  ?  The  federal  government 
may  treat  with  an  individual  or  a  company  within  the 
limits  of  a  state,  but  that  does  not  release  them  from 
their  allegiance  to  the  state,  nor  from  their  responsibility 
to  its  jurisdiction,  nor  their  obligation  to  contribute  to  its 
support.  Good  faith  and  Christian  charity  require  that 
we  should  exact  nothing  more  from  the  Indians  than  we 
impose  on  ourselves.  The  idea  of  two  municipal  author 
ities  in  the  same  territory  is  absurd  and  irrational.  The 
truth  is,  some  of  our  Northern  friends  appear  to  have 
taken  our  Indians  and  negroes  under  their  special  care, 


104  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

and,  if  we  submit  to  their  assumptions,  we  shall  next  find 
them  claiming  to  regulate  all  our  domestic  legislation, 
and  even  the  guardianship  of  our  wives  and  children. 

"  The  governor  has  probably  laid  my  militia  system  be 
fore  your  honorable  body.  I  bestowed  much  labor  upon 
it.  Impress  upon  the  members  the  necessity  of  compro 
mising  individual  opinions  a  little.  We  must  have  an  ef 
ficient  militia.  Keep  the  Supreme  Court  at  Natchez  a 
while  longer.  I  presume  you  are  all  absorbed  with  the 
elections.  I  hope  you  have  made  Joseph  Dunbar  speak 
er.  Your  declining  the  written  invitation  from  the  East 
ern  members  in  his  favor,  so  much  your  senior  and  your 
relative,  was  right.  We  regard  the  election  of  Robert 
II.  Adams  to  the  U.  S.  Senate  as  certain.  Are  you  still 
resolved  to  vote  for  Poindexter  ?  Adams  is  certainly  the 
choice  of  this  county.  I  can  not  be  mistaken  in  this.  He 
is  a  man  of  very  superior  talents,  and  of  many  noble  qual 
ities.  He  esteems  you  highly,  and  feels  mortified  that  he 
is  not  to  get  your  vote.  Your  friends  are  anxious  about 
your  course,  and  it  would  be  unkind  to  conceal  from  you 
that,  should  you  vote  against  a  constituent  who  is  so 
popular  and  deserving  as  Adams,  for  a  citizen  of  another 
county,  who  never  has  been  popular  here,  and  whoso 
physical  inability  is  not  doubted,  there  will  be  a  grer.t 
clamor,  and  your  next  election  will  be  bitterly  opposed. 
Construe  these  remarks  as  I  mean  them.  They  are  not 
intended  to  dictate  to  you.  Your  vote  for  Poindexter 
will  not  change  my  feelings,  though  I  am  warmly  for 
Adams.  But,  as  your  friend,  it  is  my  duty  to  apprise  you 
of  the  state  of  feeling  in  Natchez  on  this  subject.  In  the 
county  you  are  very  strong,  and  may,  probably,  sustain 
yourself,  but  the  city  is  devoted  to  Adams,  and  expects 
much  from  him  in  the  Senate. 

"  Let  me  advise  you,  likewise,  not  to  appear  too  often 
on  the  floor." 

In  1831,  after  the  spring  term  of  his  court  was  over, 
he  went  North  with  his  family  on  a  visit  to  his  venera 
ble  father  at  Rhinebeck.  He  had  left  there  eleven  years 
before,  with  only  a  few  dollars  in  his  pocket,  with  no 
connections  in  the  Western  country  to  which  he  was 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  -105 

bound,  with  only  one  human  being  there  whom  he  had 
ever  met  with,  and  he  had  made  his  way  successfully, 
established  friendships  that  endured  through  life,  studied 
a  profession,  and  secured  the  means  to  go  to  the  far 
South.  Once  more  among  strangers,  but  again  to  suc 
ceed  by  the  same  qualities  that  had  distinguished  him  at 
Ilartwick,  at  Mount  Airy,  and  in  Ohio  —  modest  and 
decorous  habits,  scrupulous  integrity,  and  close  atten 
tion  to  business.  He  now  returned,  identified  by  mar 
riage  with  one  of  the  oldest  and  wealthiest  families  of 
Mississippi,  in  possession  of  an  ample  income  from  his 
own  lucrative  practice,  and  chancellor  of  a  sovereign 
state.  His  relations,  his  neighbors,  and  schoolmates  clus 
tered  about  him,  rejoicing  at  the  prosperity  of  their  old 
favorite,  and  proud  to  see  that  it  had  not  rendered  him 
arrogant  or  vain.  His  simple  tastes,  his  rural  habits,  the 
kindness  of  his  nature,  and  his  affability  of  manners  were 
unchanged.  The  dogs,  the  guns,  the  boats  of  the  village 
were  put  in  requisition  for  his  amusement,  and  even  his 
old  musk-rat  traps  were  not  forgotten.  Nor  did  the 
happiness  he  experienced  from  re-entering  once  more  the 
paternal  circle  and  renewing  the  associations  of  youth, 
direct  his  thoughts  from  public  concerns  and  the  inter 
ests  of  his  adopted  state.  He  wrote  the  following  char 
acteristic  letter,  which  foreshadows  the  views  that  mark 
ed  his  future  career : 

To  J.F.H.  Claiborne. 

"Rhinebeck,  July  31st,  1831. 

"DEAR  CLAIBORNE, — On  my  return  yesterday  from 
a  fortnight's  tour  through  the  New  England  States,  I 
had  the  pleasure  to  receive  your  favor.  It  was  a  great 
treat.  You  must  either  know  my  taste  in  familiar  cor 
respondence,  or,  from  some  parity  of  disposition,  you  haA  e 
served  up  a  series  of  dishes  that  suit  my  palate.  I  have 
but  one  objection  to  your  letter,  that  is,  to  'burn  it.' 
I  will  execute  your  injunction  with  regret.  When  you 

E2 


106  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE   OF 

understand  my  method  and  care  in  filing  letters  received 
in  an  off-hand,  friendly  correspondence,  you  will  be  under 
no  apprehension  that  even  an  accident  will  ever  expose 
your  sensibility  or  your  criticisms  to  the  curiosity  or  re 
marks  of  others.  I  have  the  same  delicacy  myself. 
There  are  flowers  that  bloom  in  the  shade  of  personal 
confidence  that  the  storms  of  vulgar  life  would  convert 
into  worthless  weeds. 

"  You  fancy  that  the  short  respite  I  am  now  enjoying 
from  the  vexatious  cares  of  my  office  will  destroy  my 
taste  for  active  pursuits.  Not  so.  In  1826  I  determined 
to  devote  the  vigor  and  strength  of  my  life  to  honorable 
and  useful  ambition.  Sweet  as  the  repose  and  retire 
ment  of  philosophy  may  be — and  a  charming  picture  you 
have  drawn  of  it — I  will  not  shrink  from  the  labor  and 
the  struggle  which  that  determination  will  cost.  To 
raise  the  standard  of  independence,  and  boldly  fling  it  in 
the  face  of  any  party ;  sink  or  swim,  to  stand  by  the 
best  interests  of  our  country ;  to  brave  the  shock  of  pub 
lic  opinion  wrhen  required,  shall  be  to  me  a  pleasure.  In 
pursuing  such  a  course,  how  happy  I  shall  be  to  find  my 
self  side  by  side  with  the  virtuous,  intelligent,  and  gen 
erous  young  men  of  our  state.  A  phalanx  of  bold,  inde 
pendent,  and  honest  men  may  be,  for  a  long  time,  in  the 
minority,  but  even  then  their  influence  upon  public  af 
fairs  will  be  felt  and  respected,  and  an  intelligent  and 
high-toned  people  will,  sooner  or  later,  appreciate  their 
merits. 

"  Aug.  6th.  Since  writing  the  above  I  have  been  in 
motion  about  the  country,  and  will  now  gallop  over  a 
few  of  the  many  political  observations  collected  during 
my  long  journey  from  Natchez,  reserving  particulars  un 
til  my  return.  A  very  fierce  struggle  is  going  on  in 
Kentucky.  In  no  part  of  the  Union  have  I  seen  so  much 
excitement.  In  Virginia,  which  I  traversed  from  west 
to  east,  there  is  evidently  an  important  change  working 
in  sectional  politics.  They  are  growing  lukewarm  in 
support  of  the  (Jackson's)  administration,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  the  dissensions  in  the  cabinet,  and  the  develop 
ments  that  have  been  made,  will  ferment  the  leaven  now 
generally  diffused.  My  opinion  is  that  Virginia  is  in  fa 
vor  of  Calhoun,  and,  if  so,  Jackson  can  only  be  support- 


JOHN   A.  QUITilAN.  107 

cd  upon  the  principle  of  being  the  least  of  two  evils.  At 
Charlottesville  I  had  the  pleasure  of  an  hour's  interview 
with  our  senator,  Mr.  Poindexter.  I  found  his  political 
opinions  so  nearly  my  own,  you  may  conceive  I  enjoyed 
a  great  treat  in  his  conversation.  He  is  more  pungent 
and  tart  than  ever,  and  his  tone  is  something  like  a  sneer. 
He  is  awfully  severe  on  Jackson  and  his  advisers,  and 
no  less  bitter  against  some  of  our  folks  at  home.  He 
tells  me  he  has  written  you  at  length  upon  the  politics 
of  the  day.  I  found  him  walking  among  the  people  in 
the  court-yard,  without  assistance  and  without  crutches. 
He  is  a  man  of  extraordinary  intellectual  powers.  You 
knew  him  from  your  childhood,  and  I  do  not  now  won 
der  at  your  risking  your  popularity  to  support  him.  He 
lias  fascinated  me.  How  is  it  that  his  private  character 
is  so  bad  ?  Why  do  we  hear  so  much  said  against  him 
in  Adams  County  ?  His  intemperance,  his  gambling,  his 
libertinism,  and  his  dishonesty.  He  gives  no  indications 
of  these  defects,  and  he  is  here,  where  he  once  resided, 
taken  by  the  hand  by  the  first  people  and  followed  by 
the  crowd.  By  the  way,  have  you  ever  met  with  the 
pamphlet  published  by  Dr.  Brown  against  Poindexter  ? 
I  met  with  it  in  Kentucky.  It  charges  him  with  base 
cowardice  in  several  personal  difficulties  in  Mississippi 
and  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans.  Can  so  bold  a  poli 
tician  be  deficient  in  personal  courage?  Can  a  public 
speaker  who  so  fiercely  arraigns  so  many  influential  citi 
zens  be  himself  a  knave  ?  The  testimony  in  this  pamphlet 
is  very  strong.  The  witnesses  are  Dr.  Brown,  Colonel 
Percy,  Dr.  Hogg,  Dr.  Stephen  Duncan,  Elisha  Smith,  and 
others  whom  we  well  know.  I  send  the  pamphlet  to 
you.*  Mr.  P.  is  quite  decided  in  his  opposition  to  the 
administration,  and  thinks  our  congressional  delegation 
will  act  with  him.  "Will  his  opposition  to  General  Jack 
son  affect  your  relations  to  him  ?  He  is  for  Calhoun. 

"  Here  in  New  York  I  can  plainly  perceive  among  the 
Jackson  party  an  alienation  of  feeling.  The  Democratic 
anti-tariff  men,  the  free-trade  and  state-rights  men,  who 

*  All  this  will  be  explained  in  a  biography  of  the  Hon.  George 
Poindexter,  based  on  his  own  correspondence  and  manuscripts,  which 
I  am  now  writing. — J.  F.  H.  C. 


108  LIFE   AND    COEKESPONDEXCE   OF 

were  all  under  the  banner  of  Jackson,  begin  to  feel  un 
easy,  but,  as  yet,  have  not  determined  on  their  course. 
The  anti-masons,  the  no-Sunday-mail  party,  the  manufac 
turers,  the  working  interest,  and  the  latitudinarians  and 
so-called  philanthropists  all  incline  to  Clay.  The  free- 
trade  and  state-rights  portion  of  the  Jackson  party  may 
well  open  their  eyes  when  leading  papers  like  the  New 
York  Courier  and  Enquirer  are  evidently  shifting  over  to 
the  tariff  side,  to  prepare  the  way  for  Mr.  Van  Bur  en. 
I  lately  dined  with  a  large  party  of  intelligent  men,  who 
all  along  had  supported  the  administration.  Being  ask 
ed  about  the  impression  which  the  late  cabinet  explosion 
had  made  hi  Mississippi,  I  ventured  the  opinion  that  a 
great  majority  of  our  politicians  were  disposed  to  side 
with  Mr.  Calhoun.  One  of  them  replied, c  We  have  the 
same  feeling.  The  President  is  abandoning  the  princi 
ples  which  raised  him  to  office.' 

"  For  my  part,  I  hope  Mr.  Calhoun,  or  some  decided 
anti-tariff  man,  will  become  a  candidate.  We  must 
know  the  opinion  of  presidential  candidates  on  this  tariff 
question.  An  idea  has  frequently  occurred  to  me  of  pro 
posing  to  the  Southern  Republicans  to  run  an  independ 
ent  or  unpledged  ticket  for  electors.  How  would  this 
do  ?  I  wish  you  would  reflect  upon  it,  and  give  me  your 
advice.  In  the  mean  time  mention  it  to  no  one.  If  Mr. 
Van  Buren  is  a  decided  tariff  and  internal-improvement 
man,  I  have  no  notion  of  smoothing  his  road  to  the  pres 
idency  by  a  compromising  course  of  policy. 

"  Among  the  masses  in  the  Northern  States,  every  oth 
er  feeling  is  now  swallowed  up  by  a  religious  enthusiasm 
which  is  pervading  the  country.  Wherever  I  have  travel 
ed  in  the  free  states,  I  have  found  preachers  holding  three, 
four,  six,  and  eight  days'  meeting,  provoking  revivals,  and 
begging  contributions  for  the  Indians,  the  negroes,  the 
Sunday-schools,  foreign  missions,  home  missions,  the  Col 
onization  Society,  temperance  societies,  societies  for  the 
education  of  pious  young  men,  distressed  sisters,  super 
annuated  ministers,  reclaimed  penitents,  church  edifices, 
church  debts,  religious  libraries,  etc.,  etc. :  clamorously  ex 
acting  the  last  penny  from  the  poor  enthusiast,  demanding 
the  widow's  mite,  the  orphan's  pittance,  and  denouncing 
the  vengeance  of  Heaven  on  those  who  feel  unable  to  give, 


JOHN   A.  QUmiAN.  109 

or  who  question  the  propriety  of  these  contributions, 
•whether  wholesale  or  specific.  They  are  not  only  extor 
tionate,  but  absolutely  insulting  in  their  demands;  and 
my  observations  lead  me  to  believe  that  there  is  a  vast 
deal  of  robbery  and  roguery  under  this  stupendous  or 
ganization  of  religious  societies.  That  there  is  misappli 
cation  of  funds,  and  extravagance,  and  a  purse-proud  and 
arrogant  priesthood  supported  by  these  eleemosynary 
appeals,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  When  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  I  lodged  at  the  Clinton  Hotel.  From  my 
window  I  saw  several  splendid  edifices,  which  could  not 
be  valued  at  less  than  $100,000,  belonging  to  the  Amer 
ican  Tract  and  other  societies !  Thus  is  the  industry  of 
remote  parts  of  the  Union  taxed  to  build  palaces  in  the 
Northern  cities,  and  to  support  herds  of  lazy  cattle.  Here 
are  clerks  by  the  hundred,  salaried  liberally  out  of  con 
tributions  wrung  from  pious  and  frugal  persons  in  the 
South;  and  these  officials,  like  the  majority  of  their  theo 
logians  and  divines,  are  inimical  to  our  institutions,  and 
use  our  own  money  to  defame  and  damage  us !  Respect 
for  the  proposed  object  of  these  societies,  and  the  fear 
of  their  power,  have  deterred  even  the  bold  from  expos 
ing  their  abuses.  But  such  thraldom  must  not  be  sub 
mitted  to.*  I  am  heartily  tired  of  the  North,  and,  except 

*  I  find  these  opinions,  uttered  near  thirty  years  ago,  singularly 
confirmed  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thorn  well,  of  South  Carolina,  in  a  speech 
delivered  by  him  in  the  General  Assembly  of  the  Old  School  Presby 
terian  Church,  May,  1860.  The  subject  was  the  policy  of  the  Church 
in  regard  to  mission  and  other  boards.  The  quotation  is  from  the 
Cincinnati  Commercial : 

"Dr.  Thornwell,  of  South  Carolina,  who  addressed  the  Assembly  at 
Nashville,  in  1855,  on  the  same  subject,  most  certainly  made  an  able 
effort  to  convince  the  Assembly  that  the  Church  has  no  power  to 
delegate  authority  committed  to  her  by  her  Master ;  that  she  should 
do  her  own  work,  and  not  appoint  boards  or  other  organizations  to  do 
it.  He  argued,  too,  that  it  is  a  sin  and  a  shame  to  have  boards  where 
the  membership  is  complimentary,  and  the  privilege  of  consulting  in 
which  can  be  purchased  with  money.  The  principle  is  money.  The 
seed  of  the  serpent  may  be  harmless,  but  the  seed  contains  the  poison. 
We  need  unity,  simplicity,  and  completeness  of  action  ;  and  he  closed 
by  rejoicing  that,  when  the  millennium  comes,  we  will  not  find  it  neces 
sary  to  change  our  principles.  But  I  can  not  say,  as  the  brethren 


110  LIFE   AND    COKRESPONDEXCE    OP 

parting  from  my  relations,  shall  feel  happy  when  I  get 
my  face  homeward. 

have,  '  We  have  done  well  enough.'  Look  at  800,000,000  of  hea 
then  without  the  Gospel !  Look  at  the  resources,  the  riches  of  our 
Church,  and  dare  we  say  we  have  done  well  enough  ?  I  believe  these 
boards  have  stood  in  the  way  of  free  action  of  the  Church. 

"He  referred,  likewise,  to  Dr.  B.  M.  Smith's  history  of  those  boards, 
as  full  of  startling  disclosures." 

In  the  New  Orleans  Christian  Advocate  of  May  30th,  1860,  edited 
by  Rev.  C.  C.  Gillcspie,  one  of  the  strongest  writers  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South,  I  find  an  able  article,  prompted  by  the  an 
niversary  meetings  of  the  societies  referred  to  in  Quitman's  letter. 
The  article,  which  furnishes  thoughts  enough  for  a  book,  and  a  very 
interesting  book,  thus  concludes : 

"We  confess  we  are  sick  of  societies.  We  may  be  wrong;  if  so, 
we  hope  for  pardon  and  more  light.  There  is  a  cold,  heartless,  me 
chanical  utilitarianism  about  this  exclusive  associational  way  of  doing 
good  that  crushes  out  all  individuality  of  reason,  affection,  and  prog 
ress.  Societies  grow  fat  and  strong,  and  individual  Christian  char 
acter  remains  stationary,  or,  rather,  assumes  dwarfish  proportions.  It 
is  a  sort  of  concentration  of  all  the  surplus  energy  of  the  artificial, 
cantish  Yankeeism  there  is  in  American  character.  It  is  true,  there 
must  be  associated  effort.  We  do  not  deny  that.  But  it  should  be 
harmonious  with  those  individual  aptitudes  and  social  relations  and 
sympathies  which  God  has  ordained.  Such  association  we  find  in  the 
Church.  God  made  our  individual  constitutions,  He  established  our 
social  relations  and  sympathies,  and  He  ordained  the  Church.  They 
are  all  harmonious.  It  may  be  said  that,  condemning  High  Church- 
ism,  we  are  High  Churchmen  ourselves.  In  the  sense  of  giving  the 
Church  the  place,  and  the  importance,  and  the  allegiance  intended  by 
its  Divine  Founder,  and  set  forth  in  the  Scriptures,  we  are  High 
Churchmen.  We  have  almost  as  little  sympathy  with  Low  Church 
men,  of  any  school,  as  for  societarians.  They  both  undervalue  the 
Church  in  theory,  or  are  unfaithful  to  their  own  Church  ideal.  High 
Churchism,  in  the  sense  of  giving  the  Church  a  character  and  power 
not  taught  in  the  Scriptures,  is  the  other  extreme.  Socictarianism 
and  Low  Churchism  lead  to  indifferentism  and  infidelity.  Devotion 
to  the  Church  of  Christ,  as  set  forth  in  the  Bible,  as  '  the  purchase  of 
Christ's  blood' — as  'the  body  of  Christ,'  as  'the  pillar  and  ground 
of  the  truth,'  as  the  'kingdom'  of  Christ,  against  which  the  gates  of 
hell  shall  not  prevail — is  simple  Christianity,  as  far  as  it  goes." 

These  are  striking  illustrations  of  the  forecast  and  sagacity  of  Quit- 
man.  He  saw,  thirty  years  ago,  what  no  one  else  saw  at  that  day, 
but  what  is  now  viewed  as  a  serious  social  and  religious  evil. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  Ill 

"Your  elections  are  now  over.  I  look  forward  to 
hear  that  you  and  Bingaman  are  elected  representatives, 
and  Gridley  sheriff.  Write  me  again  at  Lexington,  Ky. 
Your  description  of  Plummer's  visit  to  Natchez,  and  of 
the  intrigues  it  occasioned,  amused  me  much.  I  know 
he  has  the  ready  talent  and  tact  to  carry  him  through, 
if  he  has  prudence.  What  is  the  editor  of  the  '  Clarion' 
about,  in  his  severe  strictures  on  Ingham,  and  Branch, 
and  Berrien,  who  very  properly  retired  in  disgust  from. 
Jackson's  cabinet?" 

On  his  return  to  Mississippi,  Chancellor  Quitman  took 
ground  against  the  administration,  advised  earnest  op 
position  to  Mr.  Van  Buren,  chiefly  on  account  of  his  al 
leged  tariff  proclivities,  and  declared  himself  for  Mr.  Cal- 
houn.  He  organized  a  State  Rights  association  in  Adams 
County,  and  others  were  formed  in  Amite,  Hinds,  Wil 
kinson,  and  two  or  three  other  counties,  through  his 
instrumentality.  Little  headway,  however,  was  made 
by  those  bodies.  The  State  Rights  movement  had  little 
sympathy  then,  even  in  the  South.  Mr.  Calhoun,  outside 
of  his  own  state,  had  no  general  popularity.  In  Missis 
sippi  his  supporters  were  "  few  and  far  between."  In 
Natchez  and  Adams  County,  where  Quitman  resided,  the 
Jackson  party  had  discarded  Calhoun,  and  the  friends 
of  Mr.  Clay  were  even  more  hostile  to  him,  many  of 
them  construing  his  doctrines  as  dangerous  and  treason 
able.  Yet  Quitman  never  hesitated  a  moment  to  hoist 
his  standard  and  publicly  hold  InVmonthly  State  Rights 
meetings,  with  seldom  more  than  fifteen  or  twenty  sup 
porters. 

In  1832  he  presented  himself  as  a  candidate  to  repre 
sent  the  county  of  Adams  in  the  convention  called  to 
frame  a  new  Constitution  for  the  state.  The  county  had 
great  interests  at  stake,  and  highly  appreciated  his  in 
fluence  and  talents,  and  the  general  conservative  char 
acter  of  his  opinions.  There  would  have  been  no  serious 


112  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

opposition  to  his  election  but  for  the  real  or  affected 
fears  of  a  few  persons,  Whigs  and  Democrats,  who 
perceived,  or  pretended  to  perceive,  that  his  views  as 
to  federal  and  state  relations,  like  Mr.  Calhoun's,  were 
mischievous  and  revolutionary.  The  following  hand-bill 
made  its  appearance : 

"Public  Meeting. 

"  The  citizens  of  Adams  County,  adverse  to  the  election 
of  judges  by  the  people,  and  opposed  to  Nullification, 
are  requested  to  meet  at  the  court-house,  in  the  city 
of  Natchez,  on  Thursday  next,  the  10th  instant,  at  11 
o'clock. 

"The  necessity  for  calling  this  meeting  is  deeply  re 
gretted  ;  not  the  more  so,  that  it  has  occurred  at  a  period 
so  close  upon  the  election,  than  as  affecting  the  political 
standing  of  a  gentleman  who  has  been  placed  before  the 
people  of  Adams,  by  the  spontaneous  act  of  a  large  por 
tion  of  its  citizens,  as  a  candidate  for  one  of  their  highest 
gifts.  It  is  believed  by  a  large  body  of  those  of  Judge 
Quitman's  friends  who  sustained  his  nomination,  and  who 
intended  by  their  votes  to  have  contributed  to  his  elec 
tion,  that  he  is  a  Nullifier  in  principle!  That  his  opin 
ions,  frequently  of  late  expressed  upon  the  subject  of 
nullification,  are  the  same  as  Mr.  Calhoun's  and  Mr. 
Hayne's;  the  one  its  author,  the  other  its  first  public 
propagator.  Judge  Quitman's  friends  in  this  county  be 
lieve  that  nullification  is  unsound  in  theory,  and  contrary 
to  the  Constitution ;  that  its  tendency  is  anarchy,  and 
that  the  effect  of  its  practical  application  to  any  given 
case  is  disunion  !  They  look  to  the  indications  in  South 
Carolina,  and  despair  of  its  permanency,  while  she  asserts 
her  right  and  intention  to  nullify  a  law  of  the  United 
States.  They  look  to  the  threats  of  her  governor  that, 
before  the  year  is  out,  her  citizens  will  be  in  arms ;  to  the 
declarations  of  a  portion  of  her  delegation  in  Congress, 
who  wish  to  go  home  and  prepare  for  war.  They  are 
also  well  aware  of  the  disposition  of  the  leaders  of  the 
party  to  form  a  great  Southern  league  to  crusade  against 
the  Union.  Under  these  circumstances,  and  at  such  a 
crisis,  a  large  portion  of  Judge  Quitman's  friends  can  not 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  113 

sustain  him,  without  sustaining  nullification,  and  putting 
at  issue  in  this  state  the  question  of  union  or  disunion. 

"  It  is  therefore  thought  proper  that  this  meeting  be 
called,  with  the  view  of  endeavoring  to  produce  such  rec 
onciliation  as  will  prevent  any  serious  division  in  the 
ranks  of  those  opposed  to  the  election  of  judges  by  the 
people,  or,  if  that  is  found  to  be  impracticable,  to  bring 
out  another  candidate  in  place  of  Judge  Quitman.  It  is 
expected  and  desired  that  Judge  Quitman  will  attend; 
and,  if  his  opinions  have  been  misrepresented,  that  his 
friends  may  be  undeceived  and  again  united. 

CITIZENS." 


To  this  he  responded  as  follows  : 

"To  the  Citizens  of  Adams  County. 

"  I  have  just  learned  that  there  has  been  industriously 
circulated  a  notice,  anonymously  signed  '  Many  Citizens,' 
calling  a  public  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Adams  County 
adverse  to  the  election  of  judges  by  the  people,  and  op 
posed  to  nullification,  for  the  purpose  c  of  bringing  out, 
if  reconciliation  should  be  found  impracticable,  another 
candidate  in  my  place,  and  desiring  me  to  attend.'  Such 
a  desire  coming  from  friends  I  would  cheerfully  comply 
with,  but  I  can  not  recognize  the  authors  of  such  a  course 
as  '•friends?  nor  can  I  permit  myself  to  be  made  the  foot 
ball  of  political  opponents.  I  have  protested,  and  do 
again  solemnly  protest,  against  making  my  private  polit 
ical  or  religious  opinions  the  test  of  my  qualification  for 
the  convention.  The  former  have  been  brought  before 
the  public  without  my  consent  or  agency.  They  are 
now  branded  by  terms  odious  and  unmeaning  to  the 
public  ear,  and  party  excitement  is  brought  to  bear 
upon  me.  To  the  calm  and  deliberate  expression  of  the 
public  will  I  will  most  cheerfully  submit.  I  can  not,  in 
justice  to  my  friends,  accept  the  invitation  of  those  whom 
I  must  consider  political  opponents,  and  the  time  is  too 
short  to  give  this  notice  full  circulation  before  the  con 
templated  meeting.  I  therefore  respectfully  request 
that  those  of  my  fellow-citizens  who  feel  interested  in 
this  matter  will  assemble  at  the  court-house  in  Natchez 
on  Friday  next,  at  1  1  o'clock,  when  I  will  candidly  ex 
press  my  views  of  the  relation  which  the  states  and  gen- 


114  LIFE   AND    COEEESPONDENCE    OF 

era!  government  bear  to  each  other,  and  endeavor  to 
si^ow  that  the  doctrines  which  I  entertain  were  not 
'invented  by  Mr.  Calhoun  and  first  propagated  by  Mr. 
Hayne,'  but  were  propagated  by  Mr.  Jefferson  in  1798, 
and  have  ever  since  been  the  true  test  of  Republican  and 
ultra  Federal  doctrines,  and  continue  to  be  the  grand 
landmarks  of  distinction  between  the  advocates  of  a 
constitutional  government  and  the  arbitrary  despotism 
of  an  oligarchy.  JOHN  A.  QuroiAX. 

"  Monmouth,  July  17th,  1832." 

Finding,  however,  that  the  meeting  called  by  the  first 
hand-bill  for  the  19th  instant  was  a  large  one,  the  ex 
citement  having  assembled  the  people  from  all  parts  of 
the  county,  he  appeared,  and  defended  himself  with  vigor 
and  skill.  The  result  was  thus  announced : 

"  A  meeting  of  a  portion  of  the  citizens  of  Adams 
County  was  held  at  the  court-house  in  Natchez  on  the 
19th  inst.,  pursuant  to  public  notice  in  a  hand-bill  signed 
'  Many  Citizens,'  calling  a  meeting  of  citizens  adverse  to 
the  election  of  judges  by  the  people  and  opposed  to  nul 
lification,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  out,  if  reconcilia 
tion  should  be  found  impracticable,  another  candidate  for 
the  convention  in  the  place  of  Chancellor  Quitman. 
Fountain  Winston,  Esq.,  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  R. 
M.  Gaines  appointed  secretary. 

"Judge  Quitman  explained  his  reason  for  appearing 
at  the  meeting,  after  having  declined  to  do  so  in  his  hand 
bill  of  the  17th  inst.,  by  stating  that  he  had  been  since 
requested  to  attend  by  many  of  his  known  friends.  He 
then  addressed  the  meeting  at  considerable  length  on 
the  subject  of  the  respective  rights  of  the  general  and 
state  governments,  after  which  Dr.  Duncan,  in  a  spirit  of 
conciliation,  submitted  a  resolution  which,  being  modi 
fied  on  the  motion  of  John  T.  M'Murran,  Esq.,  was  unan 
imously  adopted  by  the  meeting  in  the  following  form, 
to  wit : 

"  Resolved,  As  the  sense  of  this  meeting,  that  we  are 
opposed  to  the  doctrine  of  nullification,  and  believe  that 
its  propagation  would  endanger  our  dearest  and  best  in 
terests  ;  that  John  A.  Quitman  having  at  this  meeting 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  115 

made  a  distinct  exposition  of  his  views  upon  the  subject 
of  the  relation  which  the  state  and  federal  governments 
bear  to  each  other,  said  views  do  not  amount  to  nulli 
fication;  according  to  the  usual  acceptation  of  the  term, 
and  that  said  John  A.  Quitman  ought  to  be  supported 
for  the  convention  on.  the  ticket  as  originally  selected  at 
a  general  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  this  county,  in  this 
place,  in  May  last. 

"  FOUNTAIN  WINSTON,  Chairman. 
"  R.  M.  GAINES,  Secretary." 

In  his  speech  he  neither  renounced  nor  qualified  a  prin 
ciple,  but  he  traced  his  whole  code  to  Mr.  Jefferson ;  and 
the  Democrats  dared  not  vote  a  resolution  of  censure 
(and  the  opposition  were  not  strong  enough  to  do  so) 
upon  the  illustrious  founder  of  their  party.  In  the  course 
of  the  speech  he  expressed,  with  regard  to  the  state  Con 
stitution,  opinions  so  acceptable  to  his  audience,  and 
there  were  such  evidences  of  his  personal  popularity,  es 
pecially  among  the  young  men  of  all  parties,  threatening 
to  override  any  and  every  organization,  that  it  was  deem 
ed  prudent  to  find  nothing  to  condemn. 

Quitman  had  no  notion  of  evading  the  issue.  He  met 
it  at  the  threshold.  He  proclaimed  the  doctrines  of  Cal- 
houn  to  be  the  doctrines  of  Jefferson,  and  he  appeared 
in  the  court-house,  in  the  face  of  his  opponents,  and 
proved  it.  After  his  luminous  defense,  there  was  noth 
ing  to  censure.  This  was  the  first  time  that  his  state- 
rights  opinions  had  been  publicly  arraigned.  He  had 
adopted  them  when  studying  the  Constitution  and  his 
tory  of  his  country.  He  brought  them  with  him  when 
he  came  to  Mississippi.  He  knew  they  were  unpopular 
in  his  immediate  vicinity,  where  the  opposite  school  of 
politics  prevailed,  and  throughout  the  state,  where  en 
thusiasm  for  President  Jackson  diverted  the  public  from 
abstract  discussions.  He  adhered  to  these  opinions 
through  life  with  a  constancy  that  neither  opposition  nor 


116  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

temptation  could  shake,  and  his  faith  in  them  as  the  only 
true  interpretation  of  constitutional  power,  and  the  only 
guarantee  for  pacific  relations  between  the  federal  and 
state  governments,  grew  stronger  at  every  stage  of  his 
career. 

A  few  days  after  this  meeting  he  issued  an  address  on 
the  mooted  questions  of  state  policy  of  that  day,  which 
even  now  may  be  profitably  read. 

"  To  the  Electors  of  Adams  County. 

"FELLOW-CITIZENS, — It  is  known  to  you  generally  that 
I  have  been  nominated,  by  a  public  meeting  of  citizens  of 
this  county,  one  of  the  candidates  to  represent  you  in 
the  convention.  I  believed  that  a  long  residence  among 
you,  together  with  the  public  stations  I  have  held,  had 
made  my  character  and  political  principles  so  well  known 
to  most  of  you,  as  to  render  a  public  communication  of 
this  kind  unnecessary.  I  was  anxious  that  the  people 
should  be  left  to  the  quiet  exercise  of  their  own  good 
sense  and  judgment  in  the  selection  of  members  of  the 
convention,  and  had  determined  to  confine  my  agency 
to  verbal  discussions  and  arguments. 

"  Some  recent  occurrences,  the  example  of  most  of  the 
candidates,  and  misrepresentations  of  my  opinions,  have 
induced  me  to  change  my  course,  and  to  appear,  at  this 
late  period,  before  the  public  in  a  circular,  for  the  imper 
fection  of  which  I  must  ask  all  the  indulgence  to  wThich 
great  haste  and  limited  time  may  entitle  me. 

"  A  most  important  crisis  is  near  at  hand.  We  are 
about  to  remodel  our  organic  law.  The  people  of  this 
state  are  called  upon  to  appoint  representatives  to  alter, 
revise,  and  amend  their  frame  of  government.  This  work 
will  require  the  wisest  and  most  experienced  heads,  for 
upon  it  will  depend  mainly,  not  only  the  character  of  our 
state,  both  political  and  moral,  but  the  happiness  and 
prosperity  of  our  citizens. 

"  The  slightest  defect  in  this  work  will  create  discon 
tent,  and  may  produce  incalculable  misery.  Upon  its  pro 
visions  must  rest  our  most  sacred  rights,  the  free  enjoy 
ment  of  our  lives,  our  personal  security  and  private  prop- 


JOIIN   A.  QUITMAX.  117 

erty.  It  is  not,  therefore,  surprising  that  the  objects  of 
the  proposed  convention  should  be  matters  of  the  deep 
est  interest  to  every  citizen. 

"The  organization  of  the  judiciary,  and  the  mode  of  ap 
pointing  j  udges,  are  prominent  subj  ects  of  inquiry.  There 
are  those  among  us  who  are  disposed  to  try  a  new  ex 
periment  in  this  department.  Believing  as  I  do,  that  this 
experiment  would  be  dangerous  in  the  extreme,  would 
tend  to  corruption,  and  strike  a  fatal  blow  at  the  inde 
pendence  of  the  judiciary,  I  will  stop  and  examine  it 
briefly. 

"  Every  argument  that  I  have  seen  or  heard,  in  favor 
of  the  election  of  judges  by  the  people,  has  been  com 
menced  with  old  and  stale  maxims,  such  as, ;  The  peo 
ple  are  the  source  of  all  political  power ;'  '  We  should 
not  delegate  any  power  which  we  can  conveniently  ex 
ercise  ourselves.'  Maxims  which  nobody  now  denies, 
wrhich  are  so  generally  acknowledged  that  the  repetition 
of  them  can  only  be  intended  to  create  the  impression 
that  others  dispute  them.  A  disposition  is,  also,  evinced 
by  some  aspiring  men  to  flatter  and  tickle  our  ears  with 
praises  of  our  virtue  and  intelligence.  We  are  represent 
ed  as  the  most  perfect  people  on  earth — all  of  us  saints 
and  philosophers !  Do  you  suppose  our  flatterers  believe 
what  they  assert?  If  they  did,  fellow-citizens,  they 
would  not  dare  to  utter  such  fulsome  adulations  in  our 
ears.  When  a  man  flatters  us  ice  should  take  it  for  grant 
ed  he  has  an  indifferent  opinion  of  our  sense  and  judg 
ment.  We  are  treated  like  spoiled  children,  who  must 
be  bribed  by  sweetmeats  to  love  the  giver.  I  have  too 
good  an  opinion  of  those  among  whom  my  lot  is  cast  to 
court  your  favor  by  flattery  and  praise.  I  will  address 
myself  to  you  as  men — full  grown — sensible  men,  who 
will  act  from  judgment  and  principle,  and  will  approbate 
candor  though  it  may  appear  in  a  rough  dress. 

"  We  all  agree  that  we  have  the  right  and  are  capable 
of  electing  our  judges  if  we  think  fit.  The  question  is 
solely  one  of  policy,  whether  it  will  be  to  our  interest 
that  we  should  choose  them  by  popular  suffrage ;  if  not, 
it  would  be  madness  to  exercise  the  right.  We  have  a 
right  to  burn  down  our  houses,  but  surely,  before  we  do 
so,  we  will  reckon  the  advantage  to  be  derived  from  such 


118  LIFE   ASTD   COKKESPONDESTCE    OF 

an  act.  If  we  direct  any  of  our  public  servants  to  ap 
point  judges,  we  exercise  as  much  power  as  if  we  chose 
them  ourselves.  Be  not  deceived,  then,  with  the  idea 
that  a  right  which  you  possess  is  in  danger.  Allow  your 
reason  and  your  judgment,  with  the  aid  of  your  experi 
ence,  coolly  and  calmly  to  investigate  the  subject.  If 
you  then  find  that  popular  elections  would  not  be  so 
likely  to  place  upon  the  bench  upright,  talented,  and  in 
dependent  judges,  do  not  permit  the  false  idea  of  a  con 
test  for  rights  to  prejudice  your  interests.  A  constitu 
tion  is  intended  not  merely  to  establish  a  frame  of  gov 
ernment,  but  also  principally  to  define  and  limit  the  pow 
ers  of  the  several  departments,  and  to  protect  the  private 
citizen  in  his  reserved  rights.  It  is  thus  intended  for  the 
benefit  of  the  minority,  to  protect  them  against  the  ac 
tion  of  the  majority ;  to  protect  the  weak  against  the 
strong,  the  poor  and  infirm  against  the  rich  and  power 
ful.  The  judicial  department  is  to  apply  these  restraints. 
Is  it  not  therefore  improper,  in  the  very  threshold,  to 
place  this  department  strictly  and  immediately  under  the 
influence  and  control  of  those  who  are  to  be  restrained  ? 
If  the  judicial  department  is  to  be  completely  under  the 
influence  and  control  of  the  mere  majority,  that  majority 
might  as  well  govern  without  any  restrictions,  and  a  lim 
itation  of  powers  would  be  absurd.  Let  it  not  be  said 
that  the  majority  will  never  do  wrong".  I  admit  that  in 
times  of  quiet,  when  men's  minds  are  left  to  the  influence 
of  sober  reflection,  it  is  not  probable  that  the  many  will 
unjustly  oppress  the  few.  I  grant  farther,  that,  when 
this  does  occur,  they  will  eventually  correct  their  errors. 
But  the  history  of  nations,  of  our  sister  states,  of  our  own 
infant  state,  shows  that,  in  times  of  violent  excitement, 
the  many  have  abused  their  powers,  and  attempted  to 
oppress  and  tyrannize  over  the  minority.  I  refer  you  to 
the  excitements  in  Kentucky,  which  produced  the  occu 
pying  claimant-laws  and  the  relief  projects.  Look  to 
the  intense  feeling  produced  in  Georgia  by  the  Yazoo 
claims,  to  the  agitation  which  pervaded  Alabama  on  the 
subject  of  usurious  interest.  Majorities  were,  in  all  these 
cases,  ready  to  break  down  all  constitutional  restrictions, 
and  invade  the  sacred  rights  of  their  fellow-citizens.  A 
firm,  intelligent,  and  independent  judiciary  was  found  to 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  119 

check  the  mad  career  of  grasping  interest  and  ambition. 
Suppose,  in  these  cases,  that  the  judicial  departments  had 
been  placed  directly  under  the  influence  and  control  of 
the  interested  majority,  constitutional  restrictions  would 
have  been  but  ropes  of  sand,  and  the  judges  would  have 
lent  their  aid  to  trample  under  foot  the  lives,  liberties, 
and  property  of  the  weak  and  defenseless.  But  not  so. 
A  well-organized  judiciary  has  always  been  found  the 
friend  of  the  poor  and  the  ark  of  safety  to  the  oppressed. 
We  should,  then,  as  we  regard  our  liberties  as  citizens, 
sustain  and  support  an  independent  judiciary.  By  inde 
pendent,  I  -do  not  mean  irresponsible.  No.  I  would 
make  them  most  rigidly  amenable  to  some  impartial  tri 
bunal  for  a  proper  and  virtuous  discharge  of  their  im 
portant  duties.  I  know,  too,  that  the  constitutional  ex 
pression  of  the  will  of  the  majority  is,  and  must  be,  the 
rule  of  action.  Constitutional  restrictions  are  not  in 
tended  to  defeat  that  will,  but  to  restrain  it  until  it  can 
be  ascertained  to  be  the  result  of  solemn  and  mature  re 
flection.  Every  man  of  observation  must  have  perceived 
that  all  our  public  officers,  however  appointed,  feel  their 
dependence  upon  public  sentiment.  Most  men,  from  a 
principle  of  timidity,  are  actuated  more  by  that  feeling 
than  by  their  own  judgment.  I  am,  therefore,  inclined 
to  think  that  there  is  no  necessity  for  increasing  this 
sense  of  dependence.  A  greater  portion  of  it  would  not 
make  our  public  servants  more  honest,  but  might  have  a 
tendency  to  render  them,  like  the  courtiers  of  a  despot, 
more  subservient  and  sycophantic. 

"My  time  admonishes  me  to  pass  rapidly  over  the 
many  strong  arguments  against  popular  elections.  I  wih1 
briefly  touch  upon  some,  and  leave  the  good  sense  and 
experience  of  my  readers  to  supply  what  is  wanting. 
We  all  admit  that  no  human  tribunal  and  no  mode  of 
appointment  can  be  perfect.  If  we  could  call  down  from 
heaven  superior  intelligences  to  apply  the  laws,  and  to 
decide  controversies  between  man  and  man,  we  might 
expect  perfection.  We  are  compelled  to  place  upon  the 
bench  human  nature  with  all  its  infirmities.  It  is  all-im 
portant,  then,  that  we  should  remove  it,  as  far  as  practi 
cable,  from  all  influences  that  can  operate  upon  the  weak 
ness  to  which  ah1  men  are  liable.  Partiality  is  not  neces- 


120  LIFE   AND   CORKESPONDEXCE    OP 

sarily  the  result  of  a  corrupt  heart.  It  may  arise  from 
weakness  or  timidity.  Its  possessor  may  be  ignorant 
of  its  existence.  Impartiality  rarely  exists  where  the 
feelings  are  excited.  Can  we,  then,  expect  this  quality 
in  a  man  who  has  just  come  from  a  hot  electioneering 
canvass,  in  which  he  has  succeeded,  after  a  hard-fought 
battle,  who  sees  before  him,  on  the  one  side,  friends  who 
have  risked  every  thing  for  his  promotion,  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  opponents  who  have  waged  a  war  against 
his  public  and  private  character,  propagated  calumnies 
against  his  reputation,  and  now  sullenly  mutter  threats 
of  revenge  ?  These  friends  and  opponents  have  contro 
versies  before  this  judge  involving  their  fortunes  or  their 
characters.  I  leave  the  answer  to  every  man's  breast, 
whether  strict  impartiality  can  be  expected  from  a  judge 
under  such  circumstances.  But,  suppose  the  judge  should 
rise  superior  to  frail  human  nature  and  should  even  de 
cide  impartially,  will  the  suitors  be  satisfied  ?  If  the  de 
cision  be  in  favor  of  his  friend,  will  no  voice  be  raised  to 
impugn  his  motives  ?  I  fear  that  the  whispers  of  suspi 
cion  would  drive  every  honest  man,  jealous  of  his  repu 
tation,  from  a  station  of  such  difficulty  and  danger. 

"  The  advocates  of  popular  elections  of  judges  have 
reversed  the  rules  of  logic,  and  attempted  to  place  the 
burden  of  proof  upon  us.  Firmly  convinced  of  the  truth 
of  our  cause,  we  have  made  no  opposition  to  this  course, 
though  unfair  in  principle.  They  propose  a  new  experi 
ment.  Let  them  prove  its  advantages.  Have  they  shown 
that  one  benefit  would  result  from  it  ?  Have  they  shown 
that  objections  to  the  present  mode  may  not  be  remedied 
without  resorting  to  untried  theories  ? 

"  I  appeal  to  the  candor  of  every  man  to  justify  me, 
when  I  say  that  their  addresses  have  been  more  directed 
to  the  feelings  and  prejudices  than  to  the  judgment. 
We  are  accused  of  holding  doctrines  absurd  in  the  ex 
treme.  You  have  been  told  that  we,  who  are  opposed 
to  popular  elections  of  judges,  assert  that  the  people  are 
not  to  be  *  trusted''  with  the  election  of  their  judges ; 
that  '  guardians  should  be  appointed  over  them ;  that 
they  are  incapable  of  forming  a  correct  opinion  of  the 
qualifications  of  a  judge  ;'  that  the  community  in  which 
we  live  '  is  weak  or  dishonest  enough  to  vote  for  a  par- 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  121 

tial  judge.'  I  need  scarcely  say  that  such  nonsense  has 
never  dropped  from  my  lips,  nor  have  I  ever  heard  such 
arguments  from  a  sensible  man.  Is  it,  then,  fair — is  it 
candid  for  our  opponents  to  attempt  to  prejudice  the 
public  mind  by  such  misrepresentations  of  our  opinions  ? 
The  weakness  of  a  position  is  always  displayed  Avhen  its 
friends  attempt  to  warp  the  judgment  by  appeals  to  the 
passions.  We  have  no  objections  to  fair  arguments. 
Though  we  honestly  believe  that  our  principles  are  best 
calculated  to  promote  the  happiness  and  prosperity  of 
the  people,  we  may  be  wrong,  and  our  opponents  may 
be  right.  We  are  disposed  to  submit  to  the  discrimina 
tion  and  good  sense  of  our  fellow-citizens,  without  excit 
ing  their  prejudices  or  their  partialities. 

"  An  argument  has  been  used  in  favor  of  popular  elec 
tions,  which,  I  am  free  to  confess,  appears  plausible,  but 
will  not  bear  the  test  of  close  scrutiny.  It  is  this,  that 
as  public  sentiment  will  be  likely  to  fix  upon  the  indi 
vidual  best  qualified  for  the  station,  popular  elections  will 
afford  the  best  indications  of  that  public  sentiment.  I  am 
perfectly  aware  that  some  of  the  arguments  which  I  may 
make  use  of  may  be  said  to  be  equally  applicable  to  elec 
tions  for  political  stations.  This  would  only  show  that 
there  is  perfection  in  no  system.  The  action  of  a  judge 
is  privnte,  and  not  general ;  his  duties  are  essentially  and 
radically  different  from  those  of  political  officers  who  act 
upon  the  community  as  a  mass.  Upon  this  distinction 
are,  in  fact,  founded  the  principal  reasons  for  appointing 
them  differently  from  most  other  officers.  I  may,  there 
fore,  be  permitted  to  apply  an  argument  to  this  case 
which  might  not  be  justified  in  the  case  of  other  public 
servants.  Besides,  the  reasoning  of  our  opponents  is 
calculated  to  mislead,  unless  we  apply  the  practical  test 
of  experience.  Admitting  that,  where  there  was  a  una 
nimity,  or  even  a  majority  of  votes  in  the  selection  of  a 
judge,  it  would  be  the  strongest  evidence  of  public  sen 
timent  and  of  his  fitness  for  the  station,  I  say,  without 
the  fear  of  contradiction,  that,  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten, 
the  opinion  of  the  people  of  the  qualifications  of  a  candi 
date  for  judge  can  not  be  obtained  by  any  mode  of  pop 
ular  election  which  is  practicable.  If  a  majority  of  the 
whole  number  of  votes  be  required,  we  would  be  for 

VOL.  I.— F 


122  LIFE   AXD    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

long  periods  of  time  without  a  judge.  Such  a  provision 
has  not,  I  believe,  even  been  suggested  by  any  advocate 
of  popular  elections.  I  therefore  discard  it,  and  take  for 
granted  that  a  plurality  of  votes  must  decide.  Minori 
ties,  small  minorities,  will,  in  most  cases,  be  enabled  to 
elect  their  judges,  who  may  be  perhaps  the  last  choice 
of  the  great  majority  of  the  people.  It  must  be  recol 
lected  that,  should  the  judges  be  elected  by  popular  suf 
frage,  our  state  and  every  district  of  it  will  swarm  with 
candidates.  There  is  now  no  office  more  eagerly  sought 
for  than  that  of  sheriff;  and  why  ?  Because  it  is  lucra 
tive.  The  prize  of  $2000  a  year  will  attract  to  our  coun 
try  the  pettifoggers  of  every  state  in  the  Union — men 
having  no  pretensions  to  professional  eminence  —  who 
would  starve  if  left  to  their  own  talents  and  industry — 
who  yet  possess  sufficient  shrewdness  and  cunning  to 
prepare  a  flattering  tale  for  our  ears,  to  open  our  hearts 
with  hollow  professions  of  friendship.  They  will  ap 
proach  us  as  the  lover  does  his  mistress,  full  of  vows  and 
protestations,  and  leave  us  to  discover  their  faults  when 
it  shall  be  too  late.  By  intrigue  and  electioneering,  by 
raising  our  sympathies,  by  slandering  their  competitors, 
they  may  deceive  us  for  a  time.  They  may  not  succeed. 
But  my  object  is  to  show  that  such  men  will  be  here,  at 
tracted  by  the  prize  held  up  for  successful  competition 
in  the  contest  for  popular  favor.  In  case  of  a  great  num 
ber  of  candidates,  a  small  minority  may  elect  the  judge, 
and  thus  the  great  object  of  the  friends  of  popular  elec 
tions  would  be  defeated.  I  will  endeavor  to  illustrate 
this  argument  practically.  Should  a  separate  court  of 
appeals  be  established,  the  judicial  circuits  will  be  en 
larged.  Each  circuit  will  consist  of  at  least  six  counties. 
This  judicial  district  will,  perhaps,  consist  of  the  counties 
of  Adams,  Franklin,  Lawrence,  Simpson,  Covington,  and 
Jones.  There  is  nothing  more  certain  than  that  each 
county  will  present  before  the  people  at  least  one  candi 
date,  this  county  probably  two.  The  district  contains 
about  2800  votes.  Each  of  the  candidates  will  receive  a 
respectable  support,  and  the  probability  is  that  their 
number  of  votes  will  be  nearly  equal.  With  seven  can 
didates  in  the  field,  it  may  happen  that  401  votes  will 
elect.  This  is  a  contingency ;  but  the  probability  is  that 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAX.  123 

less  than  700  votes  will  in  all  cases  elect.  Will  this  re 
sult  show  the  voice  of  the  people  ?  The  voice  of  the  ma 
jority  only  is  the  voice  of  the  people,  and  in  this  case  the 
voice  of  the  majority  is  shown  to  be  against  the  success 
ful  candidate.  But  let  us  go  farther  back  to  show  con 
clusively  that  the  opinions  of  the  majority  of  the  qualifi 
cations  of  a  candidate  will  not  be  obtained.  I  will  ven 
ture  to  say  that  hundreds  of  you — of  the  voters — will 
prefer  men  who  are  not  candidates.  If  left  to  your  own 
choice,  you  would  select  a  man  whose  modesty  and  sen 
sibility  had  induced  him  to  avoid  a  warm  electioneering 
contest.  This  man  whom  you  would  select,  if  you  had 
the  power  of  appointment,  you  can  not  vote  for  because 
he  is  not  before  the  people.  You  are  forced  to  make  a 
choice  between  the  candidates,  neither  of  whom,  per 
haps,  you  like.  Here,  then,  is  one  restraint  upon  your 
choice.  Next,  out  of  the  number  of  those  who  are  can 
didates,  your  favorite  may,  perhaps,  stand  no  chance  of 
an  election  ;  you  are  compelled  to  drop  him  and  take  up 
a  third.  Ilerc  is  another  restraint  upon  you.  At  last, 
reduced  almost  to  Hobsori's  choice,  you  give  your  vote, 
yet  your  candidate  may  not  be  elected.  Here  is  a  third 
restraint  upon  your  choice.  Numbers  of  your  fellow- 
citizens,  yes,  even  a  majority,  may  be,  and  will  probably 
be  in  the  same  predicament.  But  this  is  not  all ;  our 
peculiar  local  situation  deserves  some  consideration.  Men 
who  aspire  to  be  elected  judge  of  this  district  will  not 
settle  in  Adams  County.  A  residence  here  is  not  a  good 
stepping-stone  to  public  otKce.  They  will  locate  them 
selves  in  Simpson  or  Jones,  and  you  may  rest  assured 
that  Eastern  candidates  will  always  succeed.  But  few 
of  your  lawyers  practice  even  in  Franklin  County,  where 
as  members  of  the  bar  who  reside  in  the  East  are  in  the 
habit  of  attending  courts  through  an  extensive  district 
of  country,  and  have  an  opportunity  of  becoming  ex 
tensively  known.  I  do  not  advocate  our  right  to  give  a 
judge  to  the  district,  but  in  the  spirit  of  prophecy  warn 
you  of  what  will  assuredly  take  place  in  case  popular 
elections  prevail.  The  voice  of  the  majority  will  seldom, 
your  voice  will  never  be  heard.  It  seems  to  me,  then, 
that  the  wishes  of  the  majority  will  be  more  nearly  ap 
proached  by  an  executive  appointment,  subject  to  the 


124  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

check  of  the  Senate.  The  governor  will  seek  to  comply 
with  the  wishes  of  the  people.  It  is  his  interest  so  to 
do.  He  is  responsible  to  them  for  the  propriety  of  the 
appointment,  whereas  the  voter  is  responsible  to  no  hu 
man  power.  I  have  never  known  an  executive  appoint 
ment  of  a  judge  in  this  state  which  was  not  acceptable 
to  the  people  over  whom  he  was  to  act.  An  obnoxious 
appointment  will  never  be  made.  The  powerful  princi 
ple  of  self-interest,  and  the  elevated  station  of  the  execu 
tive  forbid  such  an  idea. 

"  Now,  fellow-citizens,  one  word  more  upon  this  sub 
ject.  We  are  a  new  state;  most  of  our  citizens  are  re 
cent  immigrants.  We  have  many  men  of  talents,  but  few 
who,  from  their  capacity,  age,  and  experience,  stand  pre 
eminent  and  distinguished.  Let  us  not  be  the  first, 
upon  slight  grounds,  to  try  a  rash  experiment.  There  is 
no  state  in  the  Union,  no  country  upon  earth,  in  which  the 
judges  are  elected  by  votes  of  the  people.  The  southern 
sun,  that  w^arms  the  blood  and  quickens  the  pulse,  while 
it  produces  the  most  generous  embtions  of  the  heart, 
has  the  same  tendency  to  excite  the  fancy  and  to  stimu 
late  the  passions,  and  renders  us  less  fit  to  make  an  ex 
periment  of  this  new-fangled  political  theory.  Prudence 
dictates  that  we  should  leave  it  to  be  tried  by  others 
first.  If  it  should  succeed  well,  we  will  follow  the  exam 
ple.  The  moment  I  am  persuaded  that  it  is  for  the 
good  of  the  country,  for  the  protection  and  happiness  of 
the  private  and  humble  citizen,  I  too  will  become  one  of 
its  warmest  advocates  and  supporters.  An  anxious  de 
sire  to  preserve  the  judicial  department  in  its  purity,  to 
protect  the  equal  rights  of  all,  has  brought  my  mind  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  appointment  of  judges  by  the 
governor,  by  and  with  the  consent  of  the  Senate,  for  a 
limited  period  of  time,  is  the  best  and  most  democratic 
mode.  This  is  not  an  experiment ;  it  has  been  practiced 
upon  and  approved  by  some  of  the  oldest  of  our  sister 
states,  and  has  given  birth  to  the  most  distinguished 
judges.  The  tenure  of  office  should  be  such  as  to  avoid 
too  great  a  sense  of  dependence  on  the  part  of  the  judge, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  protect  the  public  from  the  pos 
sible  effects  of  weakness,  imbecility,  and  decay  of  mind. 
When  nominating  a  judge  for  the  Supreme  Court,  the 


JOHN   A.  QUITilAIST.  125 

governor  represents  the  whole  state.  When  acting  for 
a  district,  he  is  the  representative  of  that  district  alone. 
Biennial  elections  of  that  oflicer  will  insure  the  most  rig 
id  responsibility  on  his  part.  To  secure  the  integrity  of 
the  judge,  having  full  confidence  in  the  trial  by  jury,  I 
am  quite  willing  that  for  corruption  in  office  he  should 
also  be  liable  to  presentment,  trial,  and  conviction,  before 
the  regular  courts  of  the  country. 

"  A  misrepresentation  of  my  sentiments  upon  some  sub 
jects  appears  to  require  from  me  a  formal  contradiction. 
It  has  been  said,  ignorantly  or  designedly  I  know  not, 
that  I  am  opposed  to  universal  suffrage,  that  I  favor  a 
representation  of  property,  and  that  I  had  declared,  in  a 
speech  at  Washington,  that  mechanics  had  no  concern 
with  politics.  The  last  is  so  absurd  as  scarcely  to  de 
serve  serious  notice.  Many  of  those  who  heard  my  re 
marks  at  Washington  were  of  that  respectable  class  of 
citizens,  and  I  know  will  do  me  the  justice  to  give  this 
ridiculous  report  a  flat  contradiction.  I  have  ever  con 
sidered  entire  indifference  to  the  political  concerns  of  the 
country  blamable  in  any  man,  whatever  his  situation 
and  circumstances  might  be. 

"  The  right  of  universal  suffrage  is  inseparably  connect 
ed  with  our  republican  institutions.  Restrictions  of  this 
right  must  eventually  end  in  discontent  and  revolution. 
I  consider  it  the  sheet-anchor  of  a  free  government,  and 
would  be  the  last  man  to  surrender  it.  Its  abandonment 
would  be  a  virtual  recognition  of  the  principle  that  we 
can  not  govern  ourselves.  Positive  political  power 
should  be  distributed  as  equally  as  possible  throughout 
the  state.  An  attempt  on  our  part  to  obtain  an  undue 
advantage,  by  taking  more  than  we  ought  to' possess, 
would  certainly  be  visited  upon  us  at  some  future  period. 
Principles  and  policy  both  demand  that  we  should  be 
content  with  our  just  proportion.  Men  should  be  repre 
sented,  and  not  property  or  territory.  I  am,  therefore, 
in  favor  of  that  basis  which  Avill  secure  equal  rights  and 
equal  representation  throughout  the  state.  While,  how 
ever,  we  admit  the  right  of  equal  representation,  it  is  no 
less  important  that  we  should  protect  ourselves  against 
partial  and  unequal  taxation.  Because  we  live  within 
twenty  miles  of  the  Mississippi  River,  we  should  not  be 


126  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

required  to  pay  more  taxes  in  proportion  to  the  clear 
value  of  our  property  than  our  fellow-citizens  in  other 
sections  of  the  state.  One  district  of  country  or  one  set 
of  men  should  not  be  compelled  to  bear  a  greater  por 
tion  of  the  public  burdens  than  another  quite  as  wealthy. 
It  is,  therefore,  all  important  that  the  rights  of  the  mi 
nority  should  be  protected,  and  that  some  constitutional 
provisions  should  be  adopted  to  prevent  partial  and  un 
just  taxation.  This,  in  my  opinion,  may  be  readily  ef 
fected  by  placing  some  restrictions  on  the  taxing  power, 
or  by  requiring  that  all  revenue  bills  should  be  based 
upon  the  ad  valorem  principle  of  taxing  every  citizen  ac 
cording  to  the  value  of  his  property.  The  tax  upon 
sales  of  merchandise  is,  in  my  opinion,  partial  and  unjust, 
and  the  exercise  of  such  a  power  should  be  restrained. 

"  The  leading  principle  of  my  political  creed  is,  that  a. 
state  should  not  control  its  citizens  in  their  opinions, 
their  conduct,  their  labor,  their  property,  any  farther  than 
is  necessary  to  preserve  the  social  tie,  to  punish  offenses 
against  society,  and  to  sustain  the  powers  of  government. 

"  I  am  opposed  to  all  property  qualifications  whatever 
for  members  of  either  house  of  the  General  Assembly. 
Experience  has  shown  that  they  are  entirely  useless. 

"  A  recent  attempt  has  been  made  to  affect  my  public 
standing  by  the  charge  of  entertaining  obnoxious  polit 
ical  principles.  I  have  met  these  charges  publicly,  and 
in  the  spirit  of  candor.  The  result  is  known  to  the  pub 
lic.  I  desire  of  those  who  would  judge  me  but  a  candid 
investigation.  Believing  that  I  have  as  much  confidence 
in  the  virtue  and  intelligence  of  my  fellow-citizens  as  those 
who  flatter  them  more,  I  will  cheerfully  submit  to  their 
verdict.  Jouy  A. 


He  was  elected  by  a  handsome  majority.  In  the  con 
vention  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  committee  on 
the  judiciary,  from  which  he  made  an  able  report  against 
the  popular  election  of  judges.  The  report,  however, 
was  overruled  by  a  large  majority,  and  the  State  of  Mis 
sissippi  was  the  first  community  in  the  world  that  adopt 
ed  the  principle.  Other  states  followed  the  example  ; 
and  in  some  of  them,  especially  where  large  cities  exist, 


JOIIX   A.  QUITMAN.  127 

with  a  numerous  class  of  irresponsible,  ignorant,  or 
freshly-naturalized  voters,  the  experiment  has  worked 
badly ;  nor  is  the  system,  even  in  agricultural  Missis 
sippi,  as  popular  as  when  it  was  first  introduced. 

On  this  subject  the  following  correspondence  subse 
quently  took  place  between  a  late  distinguished  citizen 
of  Louisiana  and  Gen.  Quitman  : 

From  Hon.  J.  Fcmrick  Brent. 

"New  Orleans,  March  19th,  1845. 

"DEAR  SIR, — As  the  question  of  an  elective  judiciary 
will  shortly  engage  the  attention  of  the  Louisiana  Con 
vention,  now  in  session  in  this  city,  and  as  it  is  important 
that  correct  information  should  be  obtained  relative  to 
the  operation  of  that  system  in  Mississippi,  the  only  state 
in  the  Union  where  the  experiment  has  been  fairly  tried, 
I  trust  that  you  will  pardon  the  liberty  I  take  in  request 
ing  that  you  will  furnish  your  views,  in  writing,  upon 
that  subject,  based  upon  your  experience  and  observa 
tion  as  a  practicing  attorney  in  the  courts  of  that  state. 
The  chief  objection  urged  against  the  system  here  is, 
that  if  the  election  of  judges  be  intrusted  to  the  people 
their  choice  will  be  generally,  if  not  universally,  de 
termined  by  mere  party  and  political  considerations; 
and  I  beg  leave  to  call  your  attention  particularly  to  this 
point,  as  connected  with  the  working  of  that  system  in 
Mississippi." 

To  J.  Fcnwick  Brent. 

"New  Orleans,  March  22d,  1845. 

"DEAR  SIR, — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  19th 
instant,  requesting  my  views  upon  the  operation  in  the 
State  of  Mississippi  of  the  system  adopted  there  of  elect 
ing  judges  by  the  direct  votes  of  the  people,  and  asking 
my  attention  particularly  to  the  objections  urged  against 
the  system,  that  such  elections  would  generally,  if  not 
always,  turn  upon  party  or  political  questions. 

"Having  no  objections  to  the  public  avowal  of  either 
my  former  opinions  or  present  views  upon  this  interest 
ing  subject,  I  will  cheerfully  comply  with  your  request. 

"At  the  time  of  the  adoption  of  this  system  in  Missis- 


128  LIFE   AND   COKKESPOXDENCE    OF 

sippi,  in  1832, 1  opposed  it  as  a  new  and  hazardous  ex 
periment  ;  not  that  I  doubted  the  capacity  or  intelligence 
of  the  people,  but  that  I  feared  that  the  judiciary  would 
be  too  much  influenced  by  sudden  popular  excitement. 
As  a  member  of  the  convention  that  revised  the  Consti 
tution  I  used  my  best  influence  against  it,  or,  rather,  to 
confine  the  experiment  to  the  selection  of  the  judges  of 
the  inferior  courts  by  a  direct  vote  of  the  people.  The 
experience  and  observation  of  twelve  years  have,  how 
ever,  convinced  me  and  many  others  who  were  opposed 
to  the  experiment,  that  our  fears  were  not  well  founded; 
and,  so  far,  our  system  has  not  been  attended  with  any 
of  the  serious  evils  which  were  apprehended.  I  have 
looked  upon  its  operation  in  our  state  for  twelve  years 
with  peculiar  interest,  and,  from  my  former  opposition  to 
the  measure,  without  any  bias ;  and  candor  compels  me  to 
say  that  I  now  regard  it  as  the  best  mode  of  selecting 
judicial  officers." 

Judge  Quitman  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  delibera 
tions  of  the  Convention,  but  chiefly  distinguished  himself 
by  introducing  a  proposition  to  prohibit  the  Legislature 
from  borrowing  money,  or  pledging  the  faith  of  the  state 
for  the  purpose  of  banking — a  provision  which,  though 
slightly  modified,  he  succeeded  in  ingrafting  upon  the 
Constitution.  He  deserves  great  credit  for  this  salutary 
provision,  and  for  his  boldness  in  pressing  it  when  the 
banking  system  was  in  successful  operation,  and  when 
all  parties  were  zealously  in  favor  of  multiplying  those 
seductive  but  mischievous  institutions.  This  great  prin 
ciple,  initiated  by  Quitman,  has  since  been  adopted  by 
many  other  states,  and  is  regarded  on  all  sides  as  con 
servative  and  salutary. 

Several  ineffectual  attempts  at  impeaching  judges  for 
high  misdemeanors  having  occurred  in  the  state,  Gen. 
Quitman,  although  chancellor  at  the  time,  desirous  of 
holding  all  public  officers  to  strict  accountability,  intro 
duced  a  proposition  to  make  all  judicial  officers,  for  will- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  129 

ful  neglect  of  duty  or  other  misdemeanor,  liable  to  indict 
ment  or  presentment  by  a  grand  jury,  and  to  trial  by 
a  jury.  When  told  that  such  a  proposition  would  de 
grade  the  ermine,  he  replied  that  the  great  tribunal 
which  could  determine  the  life  of  a  citizen  was  dignified 
enough  to  decide  upon  the  removal  of  a  judge  from 
office.  In  the  convention  he  moved : 

"Itesolved,  That  all  judges,  clerks,  sheriffs,  and  other 
officers  of  court,  for  willful  neglect  of  duty  or  misde 
meanor  in  office,  shall  be  liable  to  presentment  or  indict 
ment,  and  upon  conviction  shall  be  removed  from  of 
fice." 

The  failure  of  this  resolution  left  the  people  with  the 
remedy  by  impeachment  before  the  Legislature,  costing 
enormous  expense,  and,  as  all  experience  has  shown, 
without  any  prospect  of  success,  however  criminal  a 
judge  may  be. 

He  voted  in  convention  steadily  against  all  monopo 
lies  or  exclusive  privileges,  whether  for  banking  or  other 
purposes. 

He  also  voted  against  attainders  and  forfeitures,  those 
relics  of  feudal  barbarism. 

He  finally  voted  to  submit  the  Constitution  to  the  peo 
ple,  but  it  was  rejected  by  a  majority  of  the  Convention, 
and  the  present  Constitution  of  Mississippi  never  was  di 
rectly  submitted  to  the  people. 

F2 


130  LIFE  AJST.D  COKIIESI-'OXDEXCE  OF 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Elected  Chancellor.  — Death  of  his  Father.  — Family  Afflictions.  — 
Resigns  his  Office.  —  Elected  Senator.  —  Railroad  Enterprises.  — 
Union  and  Brandon  Banks. — His  busy  Life. — Domestic  Slavery  an 
Element  of  Strength. — War  in  Texas. — Public  Meetings  in  Nat 
chez.  —  The  Fencibles.  —  Banner  Song.  — Departure.  — Letters. 
—  Extracts  from  his  Journal.  —  The  Gamblers.  —  Adventure  with 
Robbers.  —  Returns  home.  —  His  Services  and  Humanity.  —  His 
early  Faith  in  Volunteers. — Quitman  and  Stephen  Girard. — Runs 
for  Congress. — State  of  Parties. — Clay,  Webster,  Calhoun,  Harri 
son,  YanBurcn,  and  White. — Coalitions  demoralizing. — Grandeur 
of  Van  Buren's  Position. — Quitman's  Mistake. — His  Defeat. — Ap 
pointed  Brigadier  General. 

AT  the  first  election  after  the  adoption  of  the  new 
Constitution  he  was  elected,  without  opposition,  Chan 
cellor  of  the  State  of  Mississippi — an  evidence  alike  of 
the  satisfaction  he  had  already  given  in  that  office,  and 
of  the  liberality  of  the  people  in  voting  unanimously  for 
a  man  who  had  so  recently  denied  the  expediency  of  con 
fiding  to  them  the  election  of  their  judges.  He  consent 
ed  to  accept  the  office  at  the  urgent  demand  of  the  bar 
throughout  the  state. 

In  1832,  the  rechartcr  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States 
agitated  the  country,  and  the  friends  of  the  bank  in  Mis 
sissippi  proposed  to  waive  all  other  issues,  and  nominate 
an  electoral  ticket  solely  with  reference  to  that  question. 
With  this  view  they  announced  the  names  of  several 
gentlemen  who,  as  to  other  leading  questions,  held  con 
flicting  opinions.  The  nomination  of  Chancellor  Quitman 
drew  from  him  the  following  letter : 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAX.  131 

To  Jan ic s  I£.  CooJc. 

"Monmouth,  August  28th,  1832. 

"  On  my  return  from  the  eastern  section  of  the  state, 
I  read  in  your  paper  of  the  10th  inst.  an  editorial  sugges 
tion  of  the  names  of  several  citizens  '  as  electors  for  Pres 
ident  and  Vice-president  of  the  United  States,  who  are 
known  to  be  in  favor  of  a  renewal  of  the  charter  of  the 
Bank  of  the  United  States,'  with  a  request  that  the  indi 
viduals  named  should  signify  to  you  their  acceptance  or 
rejection  of  the  proposed  nomination.  My  name  having 
been  suggested,  I  conceive  it  a  duty  to  state  that,  al 
though  I  have  long  considered  the  Bank  of  the  United 
States  a  valuable  institution,  well  calculated  to  promote 
the  general  good  by  its  tendency  to  lessen  the  price  of 
exchange,  and  to  produce  and  preserve  a  uniform  and 
sound  paper  currency  throughout  the  Union,  and  would 
be  pleased  to  see  its  charter  renewed  for  a  limited  peri 
od,  with  such  modifications  as  would  prevent  an  abuse  of 
its  powers,  yet,  without  wishing  to  underrate  its  conse 
quence,  I  do  not  consider  the  question  of  rechartering  it 
the  only  or  most  important  one  which  is  likely  to  be  in 
volved  "in  the  election  of  the  first  and  second  officers  of 
the  government. 

"  In  the  present  important  crisis  there  are,  in  my  opin 
ion,  several  great  questions  of  constitutional  construction 
and  national  policy,  much  more  vitally  interesting  to  the 
people  of  the  United  States,  and  particularly  to  the  citi 
zens  of  the  South,  than  any  which  can  arise  out  of  the 
bank  question.  I  can  not,  therefore,  consistently  with 
these  views,  agree  to  become  a  candidate  for  elector 
for  President  and  Vice-president,  solely  with  reference 
to  their  opinion  on  the  renewal  of  the  charter  of  the 
Bank  of  the  United  States." 

On  the  26th  of  June,  1832,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Quitman  died, 
at  an  advanced  age,  at  Rlrinebeck.  Chancellor  Quitman 
addressed  the  following  letter  to  his  brother : 

To  Ids  Brother. 

"Monmouth,  July  23d,  1832. 

"  By  the  last  mail  I  received  the  truly  afflicting  intel 
ligence  of  the  death  of  our  poor  old  father.  Your  last 


LIFE   AND    COERESPONDEXCE    OF 

letter  had  prepared  me,  and  I  expected  to  hear  of  it  by 
every  mail.  We  should  not  grieve.  He  had  long  since 
been  deprived  of  every  enjoyment  which  a  participation 
in  the  affairs  of  this  world  can  give.  Death  to  him  must 
have  been  a  relief  from  the  burden  of  existence.  His 
very  useful  career  had  long  since  terminated.  When  we 
have  performed  the  part  which  Providence  has  assigned 
us,  and  when  the  faculty  of  enjoying  even  the  few  pleas 
ures  of  old  age  has  ceased,  it  can  not  be  considered  a 
misfortune  to  die.  I  have  felt  a  melancholy  gratification 
in  learning  from  Dr.  Wackerhagen's  letter  that  the  last 
hours  of  our  venerable  father  were  free  from  pain. 
There  will  be  many  in  another  world  to  bear  witness  to 
the  good  he  has  done  in  this.  The  time  of  each  of  us  is 
to  come,  but  while  we  are  here  let  us  act  well  our  part." 

In  a  few  months  after  writing  this  letter,  affliction  fell 
heavily  on  the  household  at  Monmouth.  Its  peaceful 
and  salubrious  shades  were  invaded  by  that  mysterious 
scourge,  the  cholera.  The  following  affecting  letter,  a 
heart-cry  from  his  broken  spirit,  was  written  to  his  sis 
ter  : 

To  his  Sister. 

"Monmouth,  May  21st,  1833. 

"  But  a  few  days  ago,  my  beloved  sister,  your  now 
wretched  brother  was  the  happy  father  of  four  blooming 
children.  The  hand  of  Providence  has  fallen  heavily 
upon  me  in  these  last  three  days.  Our  beloved  little 
Edward,  who  had  never  before  had  a  moment's  illness, 
was  for  about  a  week  affected  with  derangement  of  the 
bowels,  which  at  length  resulted  in  cholera,  and  his  pure 
spirit  left  this  world  for  a  better  on  the  morning  of  the 
18th.  Oh!  this  was  a  severe  blow  to  his  fond  parents, 
but  a  heavier  yet  was  in  store.  On  the  night  before  last, 
my  beloved,  my  beautiful,  noble,  and  affectionate  little 
John  wTas  seized  with  the  fatal  scourge,  without  any  pre 
monitory  symptoms,  and  in  six  hours  the  little  angel  left 
this  world  for  a  better  one.  He  had  no  pain,  and  was 
resigned,  fond,  and  affectionate  to  the  last  expiring  sigh. 
His  poor  mother  is  almost  inconsolable  at  the  loss  of  her 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  133 

two  darlings.  His  sister,  the  constant,  inseparable  com 
panion  of  his  studies  and  his  sports,  looks  as  if  she  was 
deserted  by  all  the  world.  His  father's  hopes,  his  high 
expectations,  where  are  they  ?  Oh !  there  is  a  void  in 
my  heart,  a  burden  on  my  breast ;  yet  I  have  strength, 
and  will  resign  myself  to  this  hard,  hard  dispensation ; 
but  Eliza,  my  dearest  Eliza,  with  all  her  firmness,  is  near 
ly  broken-hearted.  Who  shall  describe  a  mother's  sor 
row  ?  Two  sweet  children,  upon  whom  her  soul  doted 
— around  whom  were  twined  the  very  tendrils  of  her 
heart — torn  from  her  bosom  so  suddenly !  The  pestilence 
fell  upon  our  house  with  unexampled  fury.  My  German 
gardener  died  the  day  poor  little  Edward  was  buried. 
A  servant-maid  was  attacked  the  same  day,  and  still  lies 
very  low.  We  are  now  at  Woodlands.  A  storm  passed 
over  last  night,  and  physicians  say  the  pestilence  will 
cease.  Its  peculiarity  has  been  to  fall  upon  the  most 
healthy  localities  and  avoid  others.  Its  sweep  was  short, 
but,  merciful  Heaven,  what  a  blow !  Eliza  and  I  have 
determined  to  be  resigned  to  our  hard  lot.  Our  poor 
little  son  appeared  uncommonly  beautiful  and  intelligent 
the  day  before  his  death.  He  breathed  affection  for  all, 
and,  though  perfectly  well,  he  seemed  to  have  some  pre 
sentiment  of  his  fate.  I  saw  its  shadow  along  my  path 
for  weeks.  Two  hours  after  the  first  symptom  of  his  dis 
ease,  he  said,  'Father,  I  will  never  get  well.'  He  was  at 
the  grave  when  his  infant  brother  was  buried,  observed 
every  thing  with  attention,  and  gave  his  mother  an  ac 
count  of  all.  Their  little  graves  are  side  by  side,  under 
a  beautiful  tree,  below  the  garden.  We  had  two  of  the 
best  physicians,  but  no  human  skill  could  save  them. 
Their  heavenly  Father  had  selected  their  pure  spirits  to 
surround  His  throne."* 


*  The  following  touching  letter  from  a  very  remarkable  man  will 

be  read  with  interest : 

"  June  ICth,  1833. 

"MY  DEAR  FRIEND, — I  have  heard  with  feelings  of  great  sorrow 
the  severe  visitation  of  Providence  which  you  have  suffered  in  the  loss 
of  your  dear  children.  When  I  reflect  what  they  were  when  I  saw 
them,  how  much  of  promise  they  evidenced,  how  healthy,  intelligent, 
and  beautiful  they  were — all  that  could  warm  with  hope  the  breast  of 
a  parent — I  think,  with  tears  in  my  eyes,  of  my  own  dear  Joseph,  and 
that  he,  like  them,  was,  by  untimely  fate,  taken  from  the  arms  of  those 


134  LIFE   AND    COKRESPOXDEXCE    OF 

This  sad  dispensation  affected  him  long  and  deeply. 
He  often  recurred  to  it,  and  years  afterward,  in  the  midst 
of  his  preparations  for  the  campaign  in  Mexico,  we  shall 
find  him  recurring  to  it  at  midnight,  when  alone  at  Moii- 
mouth,  and  almost  fancying  himself  in  spiritual  communi 
cation  with  his  lost  children. 

In  1834  he  resigned  the  chancellorship,  carrying  with 
him  from  the  bench  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the 
community.  He  had  displayed  great  capacity  for  labor, 
cheerfulness,  patience,  method,  and  a  clear  perception  of 
the  difference  between  the  technical  application  of  law 
and  the  comprehensive  principles  of  equity.  He  was 
polite  in  his  demeanor  to  all,  above  the  suspicion  of  in 
fluence  or  partiality,  and  even  those  who  disputed  his 
decisions  never  doubted  his  conscientiousness  and  in 
tegrity. 

In  his  politics  he  was  what  was,  at  that  day,  termed  a 
Nullifier,  in  a  small  minority  in  the  state,  the  people  be 
ing  generally  Jackson  men  and  Clay  men,  or  Whigs ;  hos 
tile  to  each  other,  but  uniting  in  their  opposition  to  nul 
lification.  The  Xullifiers  met  in  convention  at  Jackson, 

who  had  too  much  of  their  happiness,  too  much  of  their  hopes  depend 
ent  on  him.  Oh,  my  friend,  how  much  of  all  our  fondest  anticipa 
tions,  of  our  warmest  affections  and  dearest  hopes,  may  be  buried  in 
these  little  tombs !  I  have  suffered  more  while  thinking  and  deploring 
the  loss  of  my  boy,  who  was  so  promising,  so  much  intertwined  with 
all  my  plans,  all  my  hopes,  and  with  my  very  heart-strings — more 
than  I  thought  my  stubborn  nature  would  submit  to.  Often  have  I 
shed  tears  on  the  midnight  pillow,  and  my  heart  would  swell  as  though 
it  would  suffocate  me.  Such  was  the  shock,  that  I  felt  as  though  it 
would  madden  me ;  and  even  now  I  sometimes  lose  that  self-control 
and  equanimity  which  I  had  fancied  I  possessed.  These  are  afflic 
tions  to  which  stoicism  must  yield,  for  nature  is  stronger  than  all  the 
consolations  of  philosophy. 

"Accept,  my  friend,  my  sincere  sympathy  with  you;  consolation  I 
can  not  offer ;  but  the  tears  which  I  have  shed  over  the  grave  of  my 
child  have  again  flowed  over  the  remembrance  of  yours,  who  are  fresh 
to  my  mind  as  beautiful  flowers  that  have  been  crushed  by  the  rav 
ages  of  a  dreadful  tornado.  Assure  Mrs.  Quitman  of  my  regret  for 
her  bereavement,  and  may  Heaven  preserve  you  and  her. 

"Your  friend,  FELIX  HUSTON.'' 


JOIIN   A.  QUITMAN.  135 

May  21st,  1834,  and  adopted  an  address  written  by  Quit- 
man,  which  embodies  the  opinions  he  held  through  life. 

His  sentiments  were  unpopular  in  Adams  County, 
where  he  had  but  a  corporal's  guard  of  followers,  yet, 
such  was  his  personal  popularity,  and  the  value  set  upon 
his  practical  abilities  by  that  enlightened  community,  he 
was  chosen  senator  in  1835,  and  was  then  elected  presi 
dent  of  the  Senate.  He  steadily  opposed  the  whole 
brood  of  banking  institutions,  and  the  charter  of  the  cel 
ebrated  and  infamous  Union  Bank.  An  interregnum  oc 
curred  by  the  expiration  of  the  term  of  Gov.  Runnels, 
who  had  been  elected  under  the  old  Constitution ;  and 
the  period  fixed  by  the  new  Constitution  for  the  installa 
tion  of  Charles  Lynch,  governor  elect,  not  having  arrived, 
the  executive  functions  devolved  on  President  Quitman, 
and  he  delivered  an  able  message  to  the  Legislature,  that 
may  even  at  this  day  be  studied  with  advantage.  He 
predicted  at  that  early  period,  when  the  cloud  on  the 
horizon  was  a  mere  speck,  the  channels  that  anti-slavery 
feeling  would  flow  in,  and  the  momentum  it  would  grad 
ually  acquire.  lie  saw  then  what  we  see  now,  that 
anti-slavery  at  the  North  is  but  another  name  for  fanati 
cism;  that  fanatics  never  reason,  and  are  never  satisfied; 
and  that  compromises  with  them,  like  the  contributions 
we  formerly  paid  to  the  pirates  of  the  Mediterranean, 
arc  but  acknowledgments  of  their  power,  and  only  pro 
voke  extortion  and  outrage. 

Judge  Pray,  of  the  High  Court  of  Errors  and  Appeals, 
dying  about  this  time,  the  commission  was  offered  to 
Quitman,  but  he  declined  it. 

lie  consented,  however,  to  serve  as  president  of  a  com 
pany  for  building  a  railroad  from  Natchez  to  Jackson, 
connecting  the  Mississippi  with  Pearl  River.  The  em 
barrassments  of  the  times,  and" the  doubtful  policy  of  the 
state,  in  sanctioning  lines  of  railway  through  her  terri- 


136  LIFE    AND   COEEESPO3STDENCE    OF 

tory  terminating  beyond  her  jurisdiction,  defeated  the 
enterprise,  after  the  expenditure  and  loss  of  a  good  deal 
of  capital. 

At  that  day  two  railroad  enterprises  were  proposed. 
The  capitalists  of  New  Orleans,  then  and  now,  by  the 
course  of  trade  and  the  necessities  of  the  planting  inter 
est,  exercising  great  influence  in  Mississippi,  proposed  a 
grand  line  from  New  Orleans,  along  the  western  shore 
of  Pearl  River  and  through  the  fertile  interior,  then  rap 
idly  filling  up,  to  Nashville. 

The  city  of  Natchez,  and  the  river  counties  generally, 
opposed  this,  and  urged  the  line  from  Natchez  to  Jack 
son,  and  then  eastward. 

Quitman  embraced  the  latter  proposition  with  enthu- 
siasm.  He  was  desirous  of  building  up  a  direct  trade 
between  Natchez,  the  then  commercial  metropolis  of  the 
state,  and  Europe,  to  emancipate  Mississippi  from  her 
dependence  on  New  Orleans.  He  apprehended,  too,  the 
influence  which  a  great  corporation,  with  its  army  of 
agents  and  employes,  controlled  in  another  state,  might 
exercise  over  legislation  and  internal  affairs,  and  like  a 
true  state-rights  man  as  he  was,  he  opposed  the  New 
Orleans  company.  It  would  have  been  defeated,  and  at 
this  moment  the  state  would  have  been  enjoying  the 
fruits  of  a  home  policy  and  of  direct  intercourse  with 
Europe ;  but,  unfortunately,  the  question  was  thrown 
into  the  caldron  of  national  politics.  The  Jackson  party 
of  Mississippi,  then  supporting  Mr.  Yan  Buren,  who  was 
unjustly  accused  of  being  an  abolitionist  in  disguise,  find 
ing  themselves  hard  pressed  by  the  unnatural  coalition 
between  the  friends  of  Clay  and  Calhoun  in  favor  of 
Hugh  L.  White,  adopted  the  New  Orleans  scheme,  with 
the  view  of  securing  the  votes  of  the  central  and  interior 
counties.  Thus,  when  the  Legislature  met,  the  Louisiana 
company  obtained  a  charter,  with  the  privilege  of  choos- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  137 

ing  their  own  location  for  a  road.  The  other  charter 
was  likewise  granted,  but  it  had  not  the  capital  to  com 
pete  with  .the  foreign  company,  which,  after  all,  exploded, 
after  perpetrating  enormous  frauds. 

Very  injudiciously,  though  it  was  the  error  of  the  era, 
the  Legislature  conferred  banking  privileges  on  the 
Natchez  and  other  railway  companies,  most  of  which, 
losing  sight  of  the  design  of  their  charters,  became  mon 
strous  swindling  concerns,  and  robbed  whenever  they 
had  the  opportunity. 

It  has  been  satisfactorily  established,  however,  that, 
during  Quitman's  connection  with  the  Natchez  company, 
not  a  single  accommodation  note  was  discounted,  and  no 
notes  were  issued  but  to  pay  for  work  done  upon  the 
road. 

But  for  this  unfortunate  and  indiscriminate  grant  of 
banking  privileges — the  mania  of  the  times — and  the 
temptation  it  held  out  to  speculate  and  swindle,  not  only 
would  Natchez  and  the  capital  of  the  state  have  been 
connected,  but  the  grand  scheme  of  connecting  the  interi 
or  with  the  sea-shore,  and  the  building  up  of  an  export 
ing  and  importing  city  at  a  harbor  unrivaled  on  the  At 
lantic,  would  long  since  have  been  accomplished.  The 
Legislature  of  that  day  saw  at  once  the  grandeur  and 
practicability  of  the  enterprise.  A  marine,  and  very 
thorough  and  satisfactory,  survey  was  made.  A  line  of 
route,  admirably  adapted  for  railroads,  was  marked  out, 
when,  in  an  evil  hour,  they  were  persuaded  that  banking 
privileges  would  enable  the  company  to  build  the  road. 
This  was  the  death-knell  of  that  magnificent  measure. 
It  was  secretly  strangled  and  interred  by  the  unprinci 
pled  managers  in  charge,  and  from  its  rotting  members 
there  sprung  up  the  notorious  Brandon  Bank — the  most 
audacious  and  infamous  of  all  the  swindling  corporations 
of  those  times — and  whose  record  should,  even  now,  be 


138  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

burned  with  fire  drawn  from  the  skies,  to  fix  upon  it  the 
condemnation  of  God  and  man,  that  it  may  be  a  warning 
to  future  Legislatures — a  lurid  and  ghastly  light,  shining 
from  "whited  sepulchres  and  dead  men's  bones." 

To  his  Brother. 

"Monmouth,  Oct.  17th,  1835. 

"  To  show  you  that  I  am  not  wasting  the  prime  of  life 
in  ignoble  ease,  I  may  mention  that  I  am  a  senator  in  the 
Legislature,  President  of  the  State  Rights  Association, 
President  of  the  Anti-abolition  Society,  of  the  Anti-gam 
bling  Society,  of  the  Anti-dueling  Society,  of  the  Missis 
sippi  Cotton  Company,  of  the  Railroad  Company,  Direct 
or  of  the  Planters'  Bank,  Grand  Master  Mason,  Captain 
of  the  Natchez  Fencibles,  Trustee  of  Jefferson  College 
and  of  the  Natchez  Academy,  besides  having  charge,  of 
a  cotton  and  a  sugar  plantation,  and  150  negroes.  You 
may  readily  imagine  I  am  not  much  troubled  with  ennui  ^ 
and  that  time  seldom  lags  upon  my  hands.  I  have  a 
higher  ambition  to  be  a  useful  member  of  society  than 
to  bear  a  more  conspicuous  and  sounding  title. 

"  The  excitement  that  existed  in  the  upper  part  of  this 
state  last  summer,  like  most  other  excitements  about  ne 
gro  insurrections,  was  more  that  of  indignation  than 
fear.*  Indeed,  every  day's  experience  and  observation 
convince  me  that  our  domestic  institutions  are  based 
upon  a  more  solid  foundation  than  those  of  the  non- 

*  In  allusion  to  what  was  called  the  Mnrrell  excitement,  growing 
out  of  the  revelations  of  one  Virgil  A.  Stuart,  a  notorious  scamp. 
An  organized  band,  very  much  like  John  Brown's,  was  said  to  have 
been  formed,  and  a  general  insurrection  was  to  occur  on  a  certain  day. 
In  the  central  counties  martial  law  was  declared ;  committees  of  safe 
ty  and  armed  patrols  were  established ;  many  suspected  persons  were 
arrested  and  hung.  Stuart  was  made  the  guest  of  the  state,  and 
received  every  where  with  manifestations  of  public  gratitude.  Large 
sums  of  money  and  costly  presents  were  given  to  him.  He  is  now 
known  to  have  been  an  impostor.  The  whole  story  was  a  fabrication. 
Murrell  was  simply  a  thief  and  counterfeiter,  and  Stuart  was  his 
subordinate,  who,  having  quarreled  with  him,  devised  this  plan  to 
avenge  and  enrich  himself.  The  whole  "plot,"  and  its  tragical  con 
sequences,  may  now  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  and 
lamentable  hallucinations  of  our  times. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  139 

slaveholding  states.  Admitting  the  remote  chance  of 
partial  insurrectionary  movements  here,  which  the  mo 
ment  they  arc  known  would  be  suppressed,  yet  you  are 
in  more  real  danger  from  the  gradual  and  sapping  tend 
ency  of  agrarian  and  fanatical  doctrines  which,  it  is  ev 
ident,  are  rapidly  making  way  at  the  North.  Should  we 
ever  live  to  see  the  proud  institutions  of  our  country 
overthrown,  you  may  be  assured  the  last  retreat  of  free 
dom  will  be  in  the  South.  I  may  be  an  enthusiast  on 
this  subject,  and  I  will  not  undertake,  in  a  letter,  to  ad 
vance  arguments  upon  a  topic  on  which  I  have  reflected 
much,  but  I  think  I  can  demonstrate  that  our  institution 
of  domestic  slavery  is  in  harmony  with,  and  almost  in 
dispensable  to  n  constitutional  republic. 

"  You  refer  to  the  politics  of  Mississippi.  We  have 
in  the  new  sections  of  the  state  a  recent  population  whose 
political  complexion  has  not  yet  been  ascertained,  but,  so 
far  as  I  can  judge,  the  people  of  this  state  are  one  third 
for  Van  Bureu,  one  third  Nullificrs,  and  one  third  Whigs. 
The  two  latter  parties  will  vote  for  Judge  White  for 
President.  No  man  believes  that  Van  Buren  has  the 
least  chance  of  getting  the  vote  of  Mississippi.  His  par 
ty  is  losing  ground  daily.  Our  elections  come  on  in  a 
fortnight. 

"There  is  war  in  Texas.  Were  I  without  family,  I 
would  repair  there  immediately.  Freemen  who  arc 
struggling  for  their  violated  rights  should  not  be  left  to 
e  unaided.""1' 


Gen.  Sam.  Houston  to  Gen.  Quit  man. 

"  Xficogdoches,  TOX.IH,  Feb.  12th,  1830. 

''DEAR  SIR, — It  affords  me  peculiar  pleasure  to  acknowledge  the 
receipt  of  your  letter  by  Mr.  II.  C.  M'Xeill,  and  the  present  of  a  Pol 
ish  yager  which  has  once  been  employed  in  the  cause  of  liberty. 

"By  this  personal  compliment  I  feel  flattered.  But  the  generous, 
liberal,  and  manly  sentiments  which  you  have  expressed  in  behalf  of 
Texas  and  the  glorious  struggle  in  which  she  is  engaged,  command 
my  gratitude,  and  awaken  in  me  the  associations  of  other  days  con 
nected  with  the  land  of  my  birth,  when  her  sons  were  battling  against 
their  invaders  in  defense  of  the  rights  of  freemen.  We  will  peril  all 
for  freedom,  and  I  trust  that  the  next  Convention  will  declare  Texas 
'free,  sovereign,  and  independent.' 

"  Could  your  situation  enable  you  to  render  to  Texas  and  her  cause 
an  auxiliary  aid  so  useful  and  important  to  her  prosperity  as  your  pres 
ence  afid  the  force  of  your  character  and  example,  I  can  assure  you 


140  LIFE   AND    COKEESPOXDEXCE    Ui^ 

A  noble  sentiment !  and  he  pondered  over  it  day  and 
night.  It  was  his  table  talk.  His  restlessness  and  anx 
iety  were  remarked  by  his  friends.  The  conflict  was 
strong  between  his  duty  to  his  young  family  and  devoted 
wife,  whose  heart  yet  bled  over  the  loss  of  her  children, 
and  what  he  conceived  to  be  his  duty  to  his  fellow-men, 
Americans  by  birth,  then  threatened  with  a  war  of  ex 
termination.  At  length,  about  the  last  of  March,  1836, 
tidings  reached  Natchez  that  Santa  Anna  was  advancing 
into  Texas  with  10,000  men.  Soon  followed  news  of  the 
fall  of  the  Alamo. 

"From  the  Tar  West, 

From  Bexar's  silvery  tide, 
That  Travis,  Bowie,  and  the  rest 
Of  warriors  bold,  in  battle  press'd, 

On  glory's  bed  had  died." 

Upon  receipt  of  this  intelligence  at  Natchez,  the  pub 
lic  excitement  was  intense-  A  public  meeting  was  call 
ed,  John  A.  Quitman  in  the  chair,  Gen.  Felix  Huston 
secretary.  Judge  Jesse  Bledsoe,  long  distinguished  in 
Kentucky  as  an  orator,  and  Col.  Childress,  of  Texas,  ad 
dressed  the  meeting.  On  motion  of  Judge  "Wm.  Yan- 
nerson  the  following  significant  resolution  was  adopted : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  proud  dictator,  Santa  Anna,  must 
fall  like  the  Alamo,  and  the  blood  there  shed  for  liberty 
and  glory  must  be  avenged." 

Messrs.  John  M.  Ross,  Wm.  Parker,  Wm.  Vannerson, 
R.  W.  Abbey,  R.  Stockman,  Wm.  P.  Mellen,  G.  R.  Gi- 
rault,  Wm.  B.  Duke,  A.  J.  Coffin,  and  A.  L.  Gaines  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  collect  subscriptions  and  sup 
plies. 

The  meeting  closed  with  an  impassioned  speech  from 

that  no  circumstance  would  be  hailed  with  more  pleasure  by  every 
patriot  whose  plans  of  government  and  policy  have  assigned  to  Texas 
the  proud  station  of  an  independent  people  governed  by  a  liberal  Con 
stitution  and  just  laws." 


JOHN    A.    QUITMAX.  141 

the  chairman,  in  which  he  declared  his  intention  of  re 
pairing  forthwith  to  the  scene  of  action. 

At  a  called  meeting  of  the  Feucibles,*  the  following 
resolution  was  adopted : 

"  Itesolved,  That  Captain  Quitman  be  excused  from 
duty  so  long  as  he  may  deem  his  presence  necessary  to 
the  glorious  cause  he  has  espoused,  and  may  the  God  of 
battles  speed  and  protect  him." 

Quitman,  with  characteristic  promptitude,  gave  notice 
that  in  five  days  he  would  set  out  for  Texas.  Appre 
hending  some  interference  on  the  part  of  the  United 
States  district  attorney  to  enforce  the  neutrality  laws, 
which  for  the  remainder  of  his  life  he  was  destined  to 
contend  with,  the  following  notice  was  issued  : 

"  Some  misunderstanding  existing  in  relation  to  the 
character  of  our  contemplated  visit  to  Texas,  we  think  it 
proper  to  state  to  the  public  that  Captain  Quitman  will 
embark  up  the  Red  River  in  the  beginning  of  the  next 
week,  and  General  Huston  will  follow  with  those  who 
wish  to  travel  with  him  in  about  two  weeks  afterward. 
Those  who  may  desire  to  accompany  us  will  furnish 
themselves  with  a  good  horse,  rifle  or  musket,  and  pis 
tols,  with  the  understanding  that  each  man  who  accom 
panies  the  expedition  embarks  on  his  own  responsibility, 
at  his  own  expense,  and  subject  to  no  other  rules  than 
maybe  adopted  for  the  convenience  of  traveling. 

"  Understanding  that  the  sum  subscribed  by  the  citi 
zens  of  Natchez  in  aid  of  the  cause  of  Texas  has  been 
placed  at  our  disposal,  we  shall  appropriate  it  solely  to 
procuring  provisions,  supplies,  etc.  Those  who  arrive 
from  time  to  time  from  other  parts  of  the  state  will  com 
municate  with  General  Huston. 

"  FELIX  HUSTON, 
"  JOHN  A.  QUITMAN. 

"Natchez,  April  2d,  1836." 

*  He  had  organized  this  fine  company,  April  21st,  1824,  and  was 
its  first  captain.  He  retained  his  membership  in  it  during  his  life, 
and  often,  when  high  in  civil  and  military  station,  mustered  in  its 


142  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

On  the  morning  of  the  5th,  the  people  of  Natchez  and 
of  the  surrounding  country  assembled  to  witness  the 
farewell  of  the  Fencibles  to  their  beloved  captain.  The 
late  John  M.  Ross,  a  young  advocate  and  a  member  of 
the  company,  pronounced  a  thrilling  address.  Quitman 
was  much  affected,  and  could  only  reply  in  a  few  broken 
sentences.  But  the  example  of  such  a  man — late  chan 
cellor  and  acting  governor  of  the  state — relinquishing  his 
business,  his  family,  his  luxuries,  and  the  refined  society 
in  which  he  lived,  for  a  rough  and  perilous  campaign, 
from  no  incentive  but  humanity,  was  more  electrical 
than  eloquence. 

The  beautiful  banner  song  of  the  Fencibles  was  chant 
ed  by  the  whole  company : 

"Our  maiden  banner  courts  the  wind, 

Its  stars  are  beaming  o'er  us ; 
Each  radiant  fold,  now  unconfin'd, 

Is  floating  free  before  us. 
It  bears  a  motto  proud  and  high, 

For  those  who  dare  defy  us ; 
And  loud  shall  peal  our  slogan  cry 

Whene'er  they  come  to  'Try  us.' 

"The  hallow'd  ray  that  freedom  gave, 

To  cheer  the  gloom  that  bound  us, 
And  shone  in  beauty  o'er  the  brave, 

Still  brightly  beams  around  us. 
The  day  our  fathers  bravely  won 

Shall  long  be  greeted  by  us  ; 
And  loudly  through  our  ranks  shall  run 

The  gallant  war-cry,  'TRY  us.' 

"Now  fill  the  wine-cup  to  the  brim, 

Fill,  fill  the  ruby  treasure  ; 
Pour  one  libation  forth  to  Hnr, 

Nor  stint  the  burning  measure. 
And  o'er  the  board,  or  in  the  field, 

His  spirit  shall  be  nigh  us ; 
The  patriot's  hope — the  soldier's  shield, 

Whene'er  they  come  to  '  TRY  us.' 

ranks.     It  was  composed  for  years  of  the  flower  of  the  young  men 
of  Natchez,  most  of  whom  preceded  their  captain  to  the  tomb. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  143 

"Then  give  our  banner  to  the  wind, 

Its  stars  are  beaming  o'er  us  ; 
Its  maiden  folds  now  unconfin'd 

Are  floating  free  before  us. 
It  bears  a  motto  proud  and  high 

For  those  who  dare  defy  us ; 
And  loud  shall  be  our  slogan  cry, 

Whene'er  they  come  to  '  Try  us.'  "* 

And  then,  amid  the  acclamations  of  the  whole  city  and 
the  roar  of  "  Old  Saratoga,"  Captain  Quitman  and  his 

*  Written  by  Francis  Baker,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  but  then  a 
member  of  the  Natchez  bar,  a  man  of  genius,  and  the  life  and  soul  of 
the  convivial  circle. 

In  1824,  Francis  Baker  was  traveling  through  Kentucky  with  a 
considerable  amount  of  money  on  his  person.  lie  spent  the  night 
with  Mr.  Desha,  son  of  Governor  Desha,  and  next  morning  was  found 
murdered  on  the  road  not  far  from  Desha's  house.  Many  circum 
stances  pointed  to  Desha  as  the  murderer,  and  he  was  arrested.  Pub 
lic  opinion  ran  strongly  against  him,  and  he  applied  to  the  Legislature 
for  a  change  of  venue.  The  application  was  refused,  chiefly  through 
the  instrumentality  of  the  late  Eobert  Wickliffe,  then  a  representative 
from  the  county  of  Fayette,  a  personal  and  political  enemy  of  Govern 
or  Desha,  and  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  Kentucky.  Young  Desha 
was  convicted  of  murder ;  the  father  held  the  pardoning  power,  and 
believed  him  innocent.  There  were  some  circumstances  to  justify 
this  belief.  After  the  son  had  been  a  second  time  convicted,  and  a 
new  trial  had  been  a  second  time  granted,  the  second  jury  unani 
mously  and  a  portion  of  the  first  jury  petitioned  for  his  pardon.  The 
prisoner  sent  for  his  father,  protested  his  innocence,  and  declared  his 
unalterable  purpose  not  to  live  unless  he  were  acquitted  by  a  jury, 
and  vowed  that,  should  a  pardon  be  sent  to  him,  he  would  forthwith 
put  an  end  to  his  life.  It  was  found  impossible  to  obtain  a  third  un 
biased  jury,  and  the  wretched  man  remained  in  jail  from  term  to 
term.  Finally,  on  that  day  of  horrors  when  Beauchamp  was  exe 
cuted  for  the  murder  of  Colonel  Sharpe,  after  the  suicide  of  his  wife 
and  his  own  unsuccessful  attempt,  young  Desha  cut  his  throat,  sever 
ing  the  windpipe  quite  in  two.  He  then  beckoned  for  pen  and  ink, 
and  wrote  a  solemn  protest  of  his  innocence.  The  tragedy  did  not 
here  stop.  Mr.  Benning,  editor  of  the  Lexington  Gazette,  a  warm 
friend  of  Governor  Desha,  animadverted  on  the  course  of  Mr.  Wick 
liffe,  and  was  shot  down  by  his  son  in  his  own  office.  He  stood  his 
trial  and  was  acquitted,  but  soon  after  fell  in  a  duel  with  the  success 
or  of  Beuning. 


144  LIFE   AND   COKKESPONDENCE    OF 

comrades  embarked  in  the  steamer  Swiss  Boy  for  Natch- 
itoches,  where  they  arrived  on  the  night  of  the  7th.* 

He  wrote  his  friend,  General  Felix  Huston,  an  ardent 
friend  of  Texas,  who  expected  to  follow  with  re-enforce 
ments: 

To  General  Felix  Huston. 

"  Natchitoches,  April  8th. 
"  We  shall  proceed  this  morning  toward  Nacogdoches, 

*  The  following  letter  was  addressed  to  him  by  a  lady  then  well 
known  in  literary  circles.  It  was  written  in  the  agony  of  "hope  de- 
fered,"  but  the  sentiments  are  worthy  of  the  granddaughter  of  General 
Warren.  Her  son,  an  only  child,  perished  at  the  Alamo.  She  tried 
to  bear  it  with  Christian  resignation,  but  smiled  no  more,  and  at  last 
died  of  a  broken  heart.  Many  of  the  daughters  of  Mississippi  and 
Louisiana  were  educated  by  her,  and  will  read  this  memorial  of  her 
affliction  with  melancholy  interest : 

Mrs.  Caroline  Matilda  Thayer  to  Gen.  Quitman. 

"  Clinton,  Miss.,  April  5th,  1836. 

"DEAR  SIR, — Having  learned  that  you  have  embarked  in  the  cause 
of  suffering  Texas,  I  take  the  liberty  of  addressing  you  a  line,  with  the 
hope  that  you  may  be  able  to  relieve  the  anxiety  of  a  mother  whose 
last  earthly  hope  has  been  devoted  to  the  same  cause.  You  may  have 
known  that  my  son  was  among  the  volunteers  who  left  this  place  in 
October  last.  I  have  heard  from  him  occasionally  by  individuals  who 
have  returned,  but  have  received  only  one  letter,  and  that  was  dated 
immediately  after  his  arrival. 

"The.  late  distressing  intelligence  from  San  Antonio  has  filled  me 
with  irrepressible  apprehension,  and  I  beg  you,  my  dear  sir,  to  endeavor 
to  aid  me,  if  possible,  in  ascertaining  whether  he  was  at  that  place.  I 
can  never  suffer  more  than  I  do  at  present  if  my  worst  fears  are  con 
firmed,  and  any  information  will  be  preferable  to  the  suspense  which 
now  corrodes  my  life. 

"There  certainly  must  be  somewhere  a  record  of  the  names  of  those 
who  fell,  but  situated  as  I  am,  so  remote  from  any  source  of  informa 
tion  except  the  newspapers,  I  know  not  how  to  apply  to  obtain  access 
to  that  record. 

"If  you  will  have  the  goodness  to  advise  me  how  to  proceed,  or  aid 
me  in  any  way  in  obtaining  information,  you  will  confer  a  favor  that 
will  never  be  forgotten. 

"I  feel  a  degree  of  enthusiasm  in  the  cause  in  which  you  are  em 
barked  which  even  my  worst  apprehensions  are  not  sufficient  to  re 
press  ;  and  if  I  am  a  childless  widow,  it  shall  solace  the  residue  of  my 
days  to  reflect  that  I  have  lost  my  all  in  so  glorious  a  cause. 

"  Accept  my  fervent  aspirations  for  your  complete  success  in  an  en 
terprise  worthy  of  a  La  Fayette." 


JOHN   A.  QUITMA1ST.  145 

making  a  slight  detour  to  avoid  the  United  States  garrison 
at  Fort  Jessup.  There  is  no  necessity  for  '  bearding  the 
lion,  in  his  den,'  and  incurring  risk  of  detention,  though 
I  doubt  not  the  officers  sympathize  with  us. 

"  I  have  paid  the  passages  of  our  party  and  of  two 
gentlemen  from  Warren  County,  and  have  given  five  dol 
lars  each  to  some  stragglers  who  are  on  foot  and  have 
rifles,  but  no  powder  and  lead.  At  Alexandria  there  was 
great  enthusiasm.  Here  there  are  conflicting  opinions  as 
to  the  issue.  Kaufman,  my  old  law  student,  represents 
the  state  of  affairs  as  gloomy,  owing  to  dissensions  among 
the  chiefs,  many  of  whom  are  speculating  in  lands.  I  am 
also  informed  that  the  Texan  convention  has  confiscated 
all  claims  held  by  citizens  of  the  United  States — a  very 
false  step,  if  it  be  true.  This  much  for  the  gloomy  side 
of  affairs.  I  must  judge  for  myself.  Others  say  that  a 
cordial  union  now  exists  among  the  leaders.  General 
Houston  is  said  to  be  on  this  side  of  the  Colorado,  with 
500  men.  He  lies  in  the  post  oak  woods,  to  protect  him 
self  from  the  Mexican  horse.  Santa  Anna  is  said  to  have 
6000  troops,  of  which  2000  are  mounted,  armed  with 
lances,  pistols,  and  sabres." 

In  the  face  of  this  intelligence  they  pushed  forward, 
and  on  the  9th  crossed  the  Sabine  at  Gaines's  Ferry, 
where  the  band  halted,  and  elected  John  A.  Quitman 
their  captain,  and  subscribed  an  instrument  to  be  gov 
erned  by  the  regulations  of  the  army  and  the  articles  of 
war.  Each  man  had  a  good  horse,  and  carried  a  rifle, 
holster  and  belt  pistols,  and  bowie-knife.  Two  mules, 
carrying  a  few  blankets  and  tin  cups,  sugar  and  coffee, 
constituted  the  whole  commissariat. 

Their  subsequent  adventures  are  related  briefly  in  a 
pencil  memorandum  made  by  their  captain  from  day  to 
day. 

Extracts  from  Diary. 

"April  10th.  Entered  San  Augustine  late  at  night. 
A  gang  of  gamblers,  recently  driven  from  Yicksburg, 
Natchez,  and  other  places  on.  the  Mississippi,  had  col- 

VOL.L— G 


146  LIFE   AND   COKRESPOXDEXCE    OP 

lected,  overawing  the  inhabitants.  They  were  little  bet 
ter  than  brigands.  My  party  quartered  for  the  night  in 
a  large  unfinished  building,  six  men  having  been  detailed 
to  watch  our  horses.  The  gamblers,  it  appears,  recog 
nized  me  as  captain  of  the  Fencibles  who  had  aided  in 
their  expulsion  from  Natchez  (although  really  we  had 
restrained  the  fury  of  the  people,  and  thus  prevented  a 
tragedy  like  that  at  Vicksburg),  and  resolved  to  have  re 
venge.  About  12  at  night,  I  was  about  to  lie  down  in  a 
small  tenement,  near  where  my  men  were  sleeping,  and 
had  just  taken  off  my  coat,  when  the  door  was  thrown 
open,  and  a  tall,  well-dressed,  and  fierce-looking  man  stood 
before  me.  A  bowie-knife  was  belted  to  his  side,  and 
he  held  in  his  hand  a  large  dueling-pistol.  Fortunately, 
I  had  on  my  belt-pistols,  and,  instantly  drawing  one,  I 
confronted  him,  and  said, '  Sir,  I  know  you,  and  you  know 
who  I  am.  I  am  here  on  other  business,  and  desire  no 
quarrel  with  you ;  but  I  fear  you  not.'  I  kept  my  eye 
steadily  fixed  upon  him.  We  stood  five  feet  apart,  and 
my  intention  was  to  shoot  him  down  upon  the  slightest 
motion  of  his  pistol.  He  glared  at  me  for  a  few  mo 
ments,  when,  to  my  surprise  and  great  relief,  his  features 
relaxed  into  a  smile,  and  lie  said,  '  Captain,  you  arc  a 
brave  man,  and  I  will  be  your  friend.'  Saying  this,  he 
retired.* 

"  llth.  Great  alarm  here;  people  moving  toward  the 
Sabine.  Rode  to-day  through  fine  red  lands,  interspersed 
with  prairie,  and  camped  at  Martin's,  eight  miles  west 
of  Nacogdoches.  Here  we  overhauled  Mr.  Archer  and 
several  Virginians. 

"  12th.  News  arrived  during  the  night  that  a  large 
detachment  of  the  Mexican  army  had  reached  the  Forks 
of  Trinity,  and  that  the  Cherokees  and  other  Indians  in 
the  vicinity  would  attack  JSTacogdoches  in  a  few  days. 
The  Virginia  gentlemen,  who  had  come  to  look  at  the 

*  It  appears  that  the  gamblers  then  at  San  Augustine,  who  consid 
ered  themselves  very  ill  treated  at  Natchez,  and  were  in  desperate  cir 
cumstances,  had  determined  to  revenge  themselves  on  Quitman  and 
his  party,  most  of  whom  were  Fencibles.  They  meditated  a  night 
assault,  and  their  leader,  a  man  of  desperate  courage,  went  to  recon 
noitre,  when  he  encountered  Quitman.  After  this  interview,  he  ex 
erted  his  influence,  and  prevented  an  attack. 


JOIIX   A.  QUITMAX.  147 

country,  turned  back  ;  we  rode  on,  and  halted  a  half  mile 
from  town.  Sent  Parker  with  a  note  to  the  command 
ant,  or  alcalde,  advising  him,  if  the  news  was  confirmed 
and  he  was  not  strong  enough  to  fight,  to  retreat,  ofter- 
ing  my  services  to  cover  his  rear,  lie  sent  this  answer : 

"  '  Nacogdoches,  April  12tli,  1S3G. 

"  '  CAPTAIN, — We  have  received  your  communication  on  the  subject 
of  the  retreat  from  this  place.  With  great  satisfaction  we  acknowl 
edge  your  proffered  kindness  to  protect  the  women  and  children,  and 
we  accept  the  same.  The  retreat  will  commence  immediately,  and 
your  co-operation  will  be  relied  on. 

"  'K.  A.  IRION,  Acting  Com.  of  Municipality? 

"  On  receipt  of  this,  we  rode  into  town,  and  found  it 
deserted.  About  70  armed  men  had  crossed  the  bayou 
and  camped.  In  the  afternoon  we  returned  to  Martin's. 
Parker  and  M'Xeill,  who  had  been  left  in  the  Texan 
camp,  came  dashing  up,  with  the  report  that  3000  Mexi 
cans  and  Indians  were  marching  upon  the  town.  Imme 
diately  after,  Maj.  Gaines  brought  a  request  from  Col. 
Irion  that  we  would  join  him  and  defend  the  town. 
Called  up  my  boys  and  submitted  the  question  to  them. 
They  answered  that  the  odds  were  fearful,  but  that  where 
I  led  they  would  follow.  In  five  minutes  we  saddled  up 
and  galloped  into  Nacogdoches.  We  there  learned  that 
the  panic  had  been  occasioned  by  some  spies  coming  in 
and  reporting  that  they  had  been  fired  on  by  the  Mexi 
can  advance.  We  took  post,  with  Irion's  men,  at  Simm's, 
about  120  men,  and  resolved  to  abide  the  issue.  If  we 
perish,  we  shall,  at  all  events,  gain  time  for  the  women 
and  children  to  reach  the  Sabine  and  escape  the  enemy. 
Each  of  my  Natchez  boys  swears  he  is  good  for  ten 
Mexicans  ;  the  Texans  say  they  will  not  be  outdone.  If 
I  must  die  early,  let  me  die  with  these  brave  fellows  and 
for  such  a  cause.  Several  alarms  during  the  night ;  ev 
ery  man  at  his  post,  but  no  enemy  appeared. 

"  13th.  Learned  that  some  300  Mexicans  of  the  vicinity 
(rancheros)  were  in  arms  near  by,  under  Col.  Cordova. 

"  14th.  Accompanied  several  Texan  officers  to  Cor 
dova's  camp.  He  declared  that  he  intended  no  attack ; 
that  he  had  embodied  his  men  to  resist  the  anticipated 
attacks  and  depredations  of  the  Indians,  who  were  great 
ly  disaffected  and  talked  of  taking  Nacogdochcs.  I  dis- 


14  a  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

trusted  his  statement,  but  did  not  disclose  my  suspicions 
to  him,  and  we  all  parted  apparently  good  friends." 

The   next   day  Capt.  Quitnmn  wrote  to  Gen.  Felix 
Huston  as  follows : 

"  Nacogdoches,  August  15th,  183G. 


Ferry  w< 

many  families  coming  over  into  Louisiana.  As  we  ad 
vanced,  the  refugees  rapidly  multiplied.  At  San  Augus 
tine  we  first  heard  a  rumor  that  several  thousand  Mexi 
can  cavalry  had  crossed  the  Brazos  above,  and  were  lying 
near  the  forks  of  Trinity,  120  miles  N.W.  from  this  place, 
and  that  1500  Indians  had  joined  them  there.  Many  fled 
from  San  Augustine.  Advancing  into  the  country,  we 
found  the  roads  literally  lined  with  flying  families,  and, 
instead  of  the  men  turning  their  faces  to  the  enemy,  we 
met  at  least  300  men,  with  arms  in  their  hands,  going 
east.  Perhaps  they  considered  the  contest  hopeless,  and 
did  not  care  to  throw  away  their  lives.  The  reports  of 
the  enemy's  overwhelming  numbers  and  bloody  inten 
tions  were  indeed  alarming.  We  must  have  met,  at 
least,  1000  women  and  children,  and  every  where  along 
the  road  were  wagons,  furniture,  and  provisions  aban 
doned.  Almost  every  house  was  deserted,  and  its  con 
tents  left  open  to  depredation.  On  the  llth  we  reached 
Martin's,  eight  miles  east  of  this  place.  Here  we  found 
Mr.  Archer  and  a  party  of  five  or  six  Virginians,  who  had 
been  a  little  in  advance  of  us,  and  learned  from  them, 
and  from  persons  flying  from  the  west,  what  seemed  to 
confirm  previous  reports  of  the  strength  and  advance  of 
the  Mexicans ;  and,  in  addition,  that  the  Cherokees  and 
Caddos  would  join  them  at  the  Sabine,  70  miles  from 
this  place.  The  two  latter  are  warlike  tribes,  well-equip 
ped  and  mounted,  and  are  hostile  to  the  Americans. 
The  conduct  of  the  former,  a  part  of  whom  reside  only 
twenty-five  miles  north  of  this,  has  been  for  some  time 
suspicious  and  domineering,  and  Bowles,  their  chief,  is 
known  to  be  unfriendly. 

"  During  the  night  of  the  llth  at  Martin's,  alarming 
news  came  in,  and  I  really  supposed  we  were  proceed- 


JOHN   A.  QUmiAN.  149 

ing  upon  a  forlorn  hope,  when  we  resolved  in  the  morn 
ing  to  proceed  hither  and,  at  least,  try  to  cover  the  re 
treat  of  the  flying  families.  I  thought  it  prudent  to  halt 
on  an  eminence  half  a  mile  out.  I  sent  a  dispatch  in, 
offering  my  services.  They  were  accepted.  We  rode 
into  town,  and  found  but  about  seventy  men  under  arms, 
who  spoke  of  camping  near  us.  I  preferred,  however, 
to  return  to  Martin's,  keeping  a  communication  by  ex 
press  with  the  town  during  the  night.  At  half  past  2 
a  scout,  who  had  been  sent  to  reconnoitre  the  road  west 
of  the  town,  returned  at  full  speed,  without  his  arms  or 
hat,  and  reported  that  a  band  of  Mexicans  had  attacked 
him,  and  he  had  barely  escaped  with  his  life.  His  flight 
through  town  produced  universal  consternation.  A  few 
brave  men  rallied,  and  Major  Gaincs  was  sent  to  request 
our  immediate  advance.  At  this  moment  Parker  and 
Henry  M'Neill  came  riding  into  camp  with  foaming 
horses,  and  confirmed  the  report.  When  about  three 
miles  from  town,  northeast,  on  an  elevated  ridge,  we  dis 
covered  a  long  line  of  smoke,  which  we  did  not  doubt 
was  the  encampment  of  the  enemy.  On  reaching  Nacog- 
doches  we  found  a  company  of  about  eighty  men,  who 
had  marched  to  join  Houston,  but  fell  back  to  this  place 
on  hearing  of  the  proximity  of  the  Mexicans.  At  my 
in:5t:::i?2  Colonel  Irion  sent  out  a  strong  party  of  spies 
to  ascertain  facts,  for  there  are  new  rumors  every  hour. 
Fifty  men  from  San  Augustine  have  joined  us,  and  we 
are  now,  in  all,  about  250.  There  is  not  a  woman  or 
child  in  the  town  or  neighborhood.  Some  days  ago  the 
commandant  issued  an  order  that  the  resident  Mexicans 
should  surrender  their  arms.  This  they  refused  to  do, 
and  at  night  disappeared.  They  immediately  embodied 
uiuler  Cot.  Cordova  to  the  number  of  250  or  300.  It  was 
their  camp-fires  that  had  attracted  my  attention  as  I  ad 
vanced.  We  have  had  an  interview  with  them,  and  mat 
ters  seem  now  to  be  amicably  settled.  The  Cherokecs 
have  likewise  disclaimed  hostilities,  declaring  that  they 
had  assembled  to  prevent  the  incursions  of  predatory 
tribes,  and  to  protect  their  stock. 

"The  facts  seem  to  be  that  a  body  of  Mexican  caval 
ry  were  sent  early  last  month  to  co-operate  with  the  In 
dians  on  the  upper  frontier,  and  make  a  descent  upon 


150  LIFE   AND    COREESPOXDEXCE   OF 

this  unprotected  country,  and  that  the  Cherokees  had 
given  them  assurances  of  support ;  that  owing  to  inces 
sant  rains,  the  unprecedented  floods,  and  the. rottenness 
of  the  soil  in  the  woods  and  prairies,  the  cavalry  have 
not  been  able  to  operate  this  side  of  Trinity  River,  and 
that  the  Indians,  finding  themselves  unsupported,  and 
learning  that  the  4th  and  6th  regiments  U.  S.  Infantry 
had  arrived  at  Fort  Jessup,  and  that  Gen.  Gaiues  had  re 
solved  to  keep  them  in  check,  have  dissembled  their  in 
tentions,  and  now  profess  friendship.  I  conclude,  there 
fore,  that  the  Mexicans  on  Trinity  wrill  endeavor  to  oper 
ate  on  Houston's  rear,  and  that  there  is  no  immediate 
danger  to  this  section.  The  panic,  however,  has  done  its 
work.  The  houses  are  all  deserted.  There  are  several 
thousands  of  women  and  children  in  the  woods  on  both 
sides  of  the  Sabine,  without  supplies  or  money.  Every 
thing  was  left  in  the  flight — the  corn  in  the  crib,  the 
meat  in  the  smoke-house,  their  poultry,  cattle,  and  furni 
ture. 

"  We  shall  probably  set  out  for  the  Brazos  to-morrow. 
An  express  has  just  arrived  from  Gen.  Houston.  He  is 
at  Gross's  Ferry,  20  miles  above  San  Felipe.  A  corps 
of  900  Mexicans  are  attempting  to  cross  the  swollen 
river  40  miles  below  him.  He  has  no  enemy  in  front ;  if 
you  intend  to  come,  do  so  immediately.  The  advance  of 
our  little  party,  in  the  face  of  the  rumors  and  the  fugi 
tives,  inspired  confidence,  and  prevented  the  citizens  from 
burning  the  town  and  retreating  to  the  Sabine.  On  our 

wTay  we  met  Gen. ,  Col. ,  Col. ,  and  several 

other  leading  men,  taking  'the  Sabine  chute?  or,  as  they 
say  here,  'putting.'  A  detachment  of  my  Fencibles, 
sent  yesterday  to  bring  in  our  baggage  from  Martin's, 
fell  in  with  100  Mexican  rancheros,  armed  and  mounted. 
My  men  faced  them  boldly,  determined  to  sell  their  lives 
dearly,  but  they  made  friendly  demonstrations.  You 
may  be  sure  I  am  proud  of  my  pets."* 

*  From  the  New  Orleans  Bulletin,  April  20th. 

"DEAR.  SIR, — Nacogdoches  has  been  abandoned,  and  probably  by 
this  hour  is  in  ruins.  A  detachment  of  the  Mexican  army  lias,  by  an 
extraordinary  movement,  been  united  with  the  Indians  of  the  north, 
who,  it  is  reported,  arc  1500  strong;  and  unless  timely  succor  is  ob 
tained  the  country  will  be  overrun,  and  the  depredations  and  horrors 


JOHN"  A.  QUITMAN.  151 

"  1 7th.  Quiet  being  restored,  we  left  Nacogdoches  for 
the  west.  Crossed  the  Trinity  at  Robins's  Ferry.  Here 
we  found  100  families,  or  more,  flying  eastwardly,  in 
charge  of  Major  Montgomery.  We  aided  them  to  cross 
the  river,  which  was  then  nearly  three  miles  over,  owing 
to  floods  of  rain.  We  were  here  informed  that  Gen. 
Houston  had  fallen  back  before  the  Mexicans,  and  would 
probably  make  a  stand  at  Fort  Bend,  to  resist  their  pas 
sage  across  the  Brazos.  Thither  we  proceeded  with  all 
possible  dispatch,  and  then  learned  that  Houston  had 
dropped  down  the  Brazos,  and  was  marching  to  Harris- 
burg.  We  pushed  forward  by  forced  marches,  and  ar 
rived  at  head-quarters,  unfortunately,  two  days  after  the 
battle  of  San  Jacinto.  Santa  Anna  had  just  been  cap 
tured.  The  commander-in-chief  has  not  determined  what 
to  do  with  him.  He  tells  me  he  is  much  pressed  to  bring 
him  before  a  court-martial,  in  which  event  he  desires  me 
to  be  judge  advocate. 

"  Arrangements  have  been  made  with  Santa  Anna,  and 
there  will  be  no  trial.  He  is  unquestionably  a  man  of 
genius,  fertile  in  resources,  and  of  great  energy.  Gen. 
Houston  exhibits  much  nerve  in  resisting  the  popular 
clamor  for  vengeance  on  the  Mexican. 

"I  am  treated  here  with  great  kindness  and  distinc 
tion.  Among  other  testimonials,  I  have  just  received  the 
following  from  Lieut.  Col.  Millard. 

"  '  CAPTAIN  QUITMAX, — Sergeant  Major  Smith  will  de 
liver  to  you  a  lance  and  stand  of  colors,  taken  from  the 
enemy  on  the  memorable  21st  of  April  by  the  troops  un 
der  my  command,  which  do  me  the  favor  to  accept,  in 
testimony  of  your  own  gallantry,  and  of  my  respect  for 
the  State*  of  Mississippi,  of  which,  for  ten  years,  I  had  the 
honor  of  being  a  citizen.' 

which  were  lately  enacted  in  Florida  will  now  he  removed  to  the 
western  border  of  our  happy  land.  Hundreds  of  families  are  rapidly 
fleeing  hefore  the  ruthless  savages,  who  are  hastening  down  upon 
them,  and  all  is  confusion  between  here  and  San  Augustine.  Gov. 
Quitman,  the  noble  and  brave  Qtiitman,  who  merely  went  to  explore 
the  country  and  lay  out  the  promised  land,  has  heedlessly  found  him 
self  and  his  handful  of  devoted  adherents  hemmed  in  by  the  Mexicans 
on  one  side  and  the  cruel  Indians  on  the  other,  and  he  is  now  rally 
ing  the  scattered  inhabitants,  and  forming  a  rear-guard  to  protect  the 
unfortunate  women  and  children,  who  are  hurrying  with  all  possible 
speed  to  the  Sabine." 


152  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

"  Gen.  Rusk,  who  succeeded  to  the  command  of  the 
Texan  army,  invited  me  to  accompany  him  in  his  march 
west,  which  I  did  for  some  days ;  but,  having  ascertained 
confidentially  from  him  the  provisions  of  the  secret  treaty 
with  Santa  Anna,  and  that  he  was  ordered  merely  to  ob 
serve  Filasola's  retreat,  and  knowing  that  the  presence 
of  Gen.  Gaines  on  the  Sabine  would  restrain  the  Indians, 
I  considered  the  war  virtually  at  an  end,  and,  therefore, 
determined  to  return  home.  Such  of  my  young  men  as 
chose  to  remain  I  provided  for.  Those  who  wished  to 
return  were  shipped  from  Galvestou.  I  prepared  to 
travel  by  land,  with  my  servants,  on  the  lower,  or  Ope- 
lousas  trail. 

"  When  near  the  Sabine,  after  crossing  a  small  stream, 
and  rising  a  bank  which  had  a  dense  underwood  on  both 
sides,  I  found  that  two  trees  had  been  felled,  forming  an 
effectual  barricade.  In  our  rear,  three  men  with  guns 
were  seen  coming  up.  We  could  neither  advance  nor 
retreat.  I  sprung  from  my  horse,  drawing  a  pistol  from 
my  holsters,  the  horse  being  between  me  and  the  ban 
ditti.  This  was  done  in  an  instant ;  but,  at  the  same  mo 
ment,  I  was  startled  by  the  sharp  crack  of  a  rifle  behind 
me,  and  the  rush  of  the  ball  over  my  head.  A  horseman 

came  up  at  full  speed.  It  was ,  the  gambler,  whom 

I  had  encountered  at  San  Augustine.  For  a  moment  I 
resigned  myself  to  die,  but  determined  to  shoot  him  first. 
He  dropped  his  gun  to  signify  that  he  was  no  enemy. 
He  informed  me  that  he  had  retreated  from  San  Augus 
tine  with  the  crowd  of  fugitives  to  Fort  Jessup,  had  gone 
to  Opelousas,  and  hearing  of  the  battle  of  San  Jaciuto, 
was  then  on  his  way,  with  three  or  four  comrades,  to  try 
his  luck  at  the  Texas  head-quarters.  Being  a  few  yards 
in  advance  of  his  companions,  on  turning  an  angle  of  the 
path,  he  perceived  my  situation,  and  thus,  in  all  probabil 
ity,  saved  my  life.  When  he  recognized  me,  he  said, 
'  Well,  Captain,  I  am  glad  I  have  had  the  chance  to 
serve  you.'  I  thanked  him  most  cordially.  We  found 
traces  of  blood,  showing  the  effect  of  his  shot,  but  the 
robbers  had  disappeared,  and  we  had  no  time  to  pursue 
them.* 

*  This  man  was  of  respectable  parentage,  and  was  well  educated. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  153 

"  Without  further  adventure  I  arrived  at  Natchez  on 
the  27th  of  May,  regretting  that  I  had  not  been  able  to 
do  more,  but  grateful  to  Providence  for  permitting  me  to 
do  as  much  as  I  did  for  a  suffering  people,  and  for  vouch 
safing  me  health,  and  safety,  and  a  cheerful  spirit  mean 
while." 

This  gallant  officer  had  no  opportunity,  during  the 
campaign,  to  appear  on  the  field  of  battle.  But  there  is 
no  doubt  that  his  march  into  Nacogdoches,  and  the  sup 
port  he  gave  to  the  few  determined  men  there  assembled, 
deterred  the  rancheros  and  the  Indians  from  the  hostili 
ties  they  meditated,  and  thus  prevented  the  massacre  of 
hundreds  of  defenseless  families,  flying  before  Santa 
Anna.  It  is  appalling  to  dwell  on  the  horrors  that  would 
have  ensued  had  those  unhappy  fugitives  been  attacked 
while  seeking  to  cross  the  angry  flood  of  the  Trinity,  or 
on  the  long  march  thence  to  the  Sabine.  Between  those 
retreating  families  and  their  foes — then  believed  to  be  in 
ambush  at  no  great  distance — in  the  face  of  a  thousand 
alarming  rumors,  each  enough  to  try  the  firmest  nerves, 
he  placed  himself  and  his  devoted  band,  and,  one  and  all, 
resolved  to  die,  not  for  fame,  but  in  an  obscure  and  hope 
less  struggle,  to  gain  time  for  the  fugitives.  lie  lived 
to  serve  in  stricken  fields — to  be  foremost  in  the  despe 
rate  charge — to  be  remarked  for  his  calm,  cool  courage, 
when  wTholc  platoons  were  mowed  down  by  his  side — to 
be  the  first  to  hoist  the  flag  of  his  country  on  the  capitol 
of  a  conquered  empire.  But,  in  his  whole  heroic  career, 
there  is  nothing  grander  than  the  humanity  and  deterrn- 

A  number  of  years  afterward,  he  was  convicted  of  dealing  faro  in  a 
neighboring  state,  and  sentenced  to  six  months'  imprisonment  and 
$1000  dollars  fine.  At  the  intercession  of  the  writer,  the  governor 
remitted  the  imprisonment,  and  the  fine  was  paid,  one  half  by  his  own 
friends,  and  the  other  $500  by  Quitman,  who  never  forgot  him.  lie 
is  now  a  minister  of  the  Gospel. 

O  2 


154  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OP 

ined  purpose   exhibited,  at  this  critical  period,  on  the 
bleeding  frontier  of  Texas. 

Not  only  did  he  thus  jeopard  his  life  for  the  defense 
less,  but  he  contributed  liberally  to  their  support.  Sev 
eral  thousand  dollars  he  bestowed  upon  the  indigent, 
who  were  without  the  means  of  purchasing  food.  Many 
families,  too,  in  independent  circumstances,  had  been 
compelled,  by  their  precipitate  flight,  to  go  unprovided 
with  means  to  defray  their  expenses.  Of  the  relief  he 
extended  to  them  there  are  numerous  instances  similar 
to  that  referred  to  in  the  following  touching  letter,  from 
a  highly  respectable  gentleman. 

From . 


"Washington,  Texas,  Oct.  30th,  1836. 

"  HON.  JOHN  A.  QUITMAN, — I  avail  myself  of  the  first 
opportunity  to  acknowledge  your  great  kindness  to  my 
family  while  I  was  absent  with  the  army.  The  fifty  dol 
lars  you  so  generously  handed  my  wife  will  be  returned 
to  you,  with  interest,  out  of  the  first  earnings  of  my  pro 
fession.  The  length  of  time  I  have  been  in  the  service, 
my  family  expenses  on  the  retreat,  the  destruction  of  our 
property,  and  our  government  not  yet  able  to  pay  a  dol 
lar,  leaves  me  unable  to  pay  you  now.  It  shall  be  faith 
fully  remitted  to  you,  but  we  can  never  repay  the  obli 
gation  but  with  thankful  hearts.  May  God  bless  you, 
sir! 

"  I  returned  with  my  family  to  this  place  last  month. 
Our  friends  met  us  with  cheerful  countenances,  but  our 
once  cozy  home  was  desolate.  We  have  all  been  very 
sick,  but,  thanks  to  Providence,  are  now  up.  May  Heav 
en's  smile  and  sunshine  attend  you,  sir,  and  be  assured 
that  your  name  will  ever  be  pronounced  in  Texas  with 
emotions  of  gratitude  and  pride." 

The  campaign,  in  benefactions  to  the  needy  and  assist 
ance  and  advances  to  his  men,  cost  Capt.  Quitman  over 
ten  thousand  dollars ;  but  he  never  regretted  the  expendi- 


JOHN  A.  QUITMAX.  155 

turo,  and  never  reclaimed  a  cent  that  he  had  loaned. 
Those  who  accompanied  him  to  Texas  enjoyed  his  friend 
ship,  and,  when  they  desired  it,  his  aid  during  their  lives, 
and  their  attachment  to  him  remained  unbroken  to  the 
last.* 

*  Many  years  afterward  this  Texas  expedition  occasioned  the  fol 
lowing  correspondence  : 

From  the  Washington  Union  of  February  8/7?,  1851. 
"We  have  no  recollection  «f  having  published  the  'false  report'  to 
which  Gen.  Quitman  alludes  in  the  following  card  and  correspond 
ence.  But,  as  we  take  it  for  granted  he  is  right  in  speaking  of  its 
circulation  in  our  paper,  we  most  cheerfully  give  place  to  the  explana 
tion  which  he  has  transmitted  to  us  : 

"  '  Jackson,  Mis.?.,  January  IStli,  1S51. 

"  'SiR, — As  you  have  thought  fit,  through  the  columns  of  your  pa 
per,  to  give  circulation  to  the  false  report  alluded  to  in  my  letter  to 
Gen.  Rusk,  herewith  inclosed,  I  now  request  that  you  will  aid  in  cor 
recting  the  calumny  by  publishing  the  correspondence  which  I  inclose, 
as  well  as  this  note. 

"  '  With  due  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

"<J.  A.  QUITMAN. 

"  l  Thomas  Ritchie,  Esq.,  Editor  of  the  Union. 

"  '  Gen.  Quitman  to  Gen.  Rusk. 

"  'Jackson,  Miss.,  December  4th,  1850. 

"  '  SIR, — I  inclose  an  extract  from  the  "Sea-shore  Sentinel" — a 
paper  published  in  this  state — which  has  just  met  my  eye. 

"  '  I  am  informed  that,  similar  statements  are  made  in  other  papers. 
Aware  that  but  little  reliance  is  to  be  placed  upon  newspaper  reports 
of  speeches,  and  unwilling  to  believe  that  you  could  have  uttered  such 
language  in  regard  to  me,  I  still  deem  the  circulation  of  these  reports 
as  entitling  me  to  call  upon  you  to  say  whether  you  have  made  the 
statement  attributed  to  you,  or  used  any  other  language  in  connection 
with  my  name  to  warrant  such  a  report;  and  if  I  was  alluded  to  in 
your  speech  at  San  Augustine,  what  were  your  remarks  about  me.  I 
feel  quite  assured,  from  your  candor  and  sense  of  justice,  as  well  as 
from  the  kind  relations  which  have  existed  between  us,  that  you  will 
appreciate  the  motives  which  prompt  these  inquiries,  and  will  reply  to 
them  promptly  and  frankly. 

"  'I  remain,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"'J.  A.  QUITMAN. 
u  l  Hon.  Thomas  J.  Rusk,  Washington  City. 

[Extract.] 

"  'General  Rusk  made  a  speech  at  San  Augustine,  on  his  arrival 
there,  in  which  he  defended  the  Ten  Million  Bill  and  the  Union,  and 
bore  down  pretty  sharply  upon  the  Southern  ultras,  not  even  sparing 
Gov.  Quitman,  of  whom  he  is  represented  to  have  stated  that  he  (the 
governor)  had  once  failed  to  redeem  the  pledges  of  assistance  to  Texas 


lo€>  LIFE   AXD   COEKESPONDENCE    OF 

On  the  6th  of  June  the  Fencibles  gave  Capt.  Quitman 
a  formal  reception.  His  narrative  of  the  expedition  and 
of  the  glorious  achievements  of  the  Texan  volunteers  at 
San  Jacinto  was  warmly  received,  and  the  day  closed 
with  a  resolution  authorizing  their  captain  to  tender  the 
services  of  the  company  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  the  Creeks  and  Seminoles  holding,  at  that  time, 
a  threatening  attitude  on  the  frontiers  of  Alabama  and 
Georgia. 

The  ensuing  anniversary  of  our  national  independence 

at  a  time  more  fraught  with  difficulty  and  danger  than  the  present, 
and  that  they  were  not  to  be  desired  now. 

"  '  Gen.  Rusk  to  Gen.  Quitman. 

"  'Washington,  December  26th,  1850. 

"  '  SIR, — Having  been  detained  by  sickness  on  my  journey  to  this 
city,  I  did  not  receive  until  last  night  your  letter  of  the  4th  instant, 
inclosing  an  extract  from  the  "Sea-shore  Sentinel,"  in  relation  to  a 
speech  lately  made  by  me  in  San  Augustine. 

'"I  take  the  earliest  occasion  to  answer  the  inquiries  made  by  you 
in  the  frank  and  friendly  spirit  in  which  they  are  presented. 

"  'On  my  way  home  I  addressed  the  people  of  San  Augustine  in 
defense  of  my  course  in  the  Senate  upon  the  Ten  Million  Billj  and 
urged  them  to  accept  the  proposition,  as  the  best  way  of  settling  the 
boundary  question  with  honor  and  advantage  to  the  state.  In  the 
course  of  my  remarks  I  alluded  to  you,  but  in  a  style  the  reverse  of 
the  one  described  by  the  correspondent  of  the  u  Sentinel."  It  is  im 
possible  for  me  to  recollect  the  precise  language  used ;  but  the  idea 
intended  to  be  conveyed  was  that,  in  a  contest  with  a  government  as 
powerful  as  that  of  the  United  States,  it  would  be  the  duty  of  Texas 
to  rely  upon  means  which  she  could  command  more  than  upon  the 
sympathies  of  other  sections  of  the  country,  which  she  would  doubt 
less  have  had,  but  had  no  right  to  demand.  In  this  connection,  I 
mentioned  the  fact  that  you  had,  in  1 83G,  come  to  the  aid  of  Texas, 
and  stated  my  belief  that  the  expression  of  your  readiness  to  do  so 
again,  contained  in  your  letter  of  last  summer,  had  probably  been  of 
service,  inasmuch  as  it  showed  the  country  that,  in  the  event  of  a  col 
lision  with  the  general  government,  Texas  would  possess  the  good 
wishes  of  her  sister  states ;  but  I  added  that,  under  such  trying  cir 
cumstances,  her  chief  reliance  should  be  placed  upon  the  resources 
which  she  could  command  promptly.  I  believe  that  if  you  had  heard 
the  remarks  in  question,  you  would  have  been  convinced  that  they 
were  dictated  by  a  spirit  of  kindness  rather  than  a  disposition  to  cen 
sure.  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

" 'Trios.  J.  RUSK. 

u  'His  Excellency  John  A.  Quitman.1" 


JOHN   A.    QUITMAN.  157 

•was  celebrated  in  Natchez  with  much  enthusiasm.  Capt. 
Quitman,  in  full  uniform,  read  the  Declaration  of  Inde 
pendence,  and  an  eloquent  oration  was  pronounced  by 
the  lion.  J.  S.  B.  Thachcr,  himself  sprung  from  a  fam 
ily  distinguished  in  the  Revolution.  At  the  dinner  that 
followed,  Capt.  Quitman  offered  a  sentiment  showing 
the  confidence  he  entertained  then,  and  maintained  to 
the  end  of  his  life,  in  the  volunteer  soldiery : 

"The  battle  of  San  Jacinto— like  Bunker  Hill,  Eutaw, 
and  the  Cowpens — proves  that  volunteers,  in  the  cause 
of  freedom,  are  invincible." 

Nor  did  Quitman,  amid  the  congratulations  of  friends 
and  the  enjoyments  of  home,  forget  his  comrades  whom 
lie  had  left  in  Texas.  On  the  13th  of  August,  when  six  of 
them*  arrived,  he  called  out  the  Fencibles,  received  them 
at  the  landing  with  a  salute,  and  escorted  them  to  West's 
Hotel,  where,  by  his  orders,  an  elegant  entertainment  had 
been  provided. 

*  Wm.  Strickland,  T.  J.  Golightly,  M.  M.  Eailey,  J.  S.  Munce, 
A.  G.  Coffin,  J.  Steen. 

One  of  his  comrades,  Maj.  Golightly,  had  previously  written  him 

as  follows : 

"  Camp,  5  m.  E.  of  La  Bahia,  June  8th,  1836. 

' '  DEAR  CAPTAIN, — We  have  had  hard  times  since  you  left  us.  For 
13  days  we  lived  on  beef  alone.  Our  company  never  halted  till  with 
in  20  miles  of  the  Guadalupe,  where  we  lost  our  horses,  and,  after 
hunting  them  five  days,  recovered  them  and  went  to  Victoria,  where 
we  arrived  six  days  after  the  Mexican  army  had  left.  When  the  Tex 
an  forces  came  up  we  moved  to  La  Bahia,  where  we  saw  a  force  of 
1000  Mexicans  retiring  from  Bexar,  but  in  consequence  of  the  arm 
istice  there  was  no  lighting,  very  much  against  the  will  of  some  of  us. 
Capt.  Strickland,  'of  ours,'  with  10  men,  set  out  this  morning  to  escort 
Gen.  Woll  beyond  our  outposts  on  his  way  to  Mexico.  On  our  march 
to  Goliad  we 'passed  Fanning's  battle-ground.  There  is  no  particular 
military  advantage  in  the  place  he  selected.  The  bones  of  those  who 
were  burned,  and  of  those  that  were  shot  at  Goliad,  were  buried  on  the 
4th  inst.  with  the  proper  rites.  We  found  the  place  so  intolerable  on 
account  of  the  stench,  and  provisions  and  forage  so  scarce,  it  was  re 
solved  to  return  to  Victoria,  to  which  place  the  main  army  moved  on 
the  Gth,  leaving  our  company  to  protect  General  Woll." 

I  know  of  but  one  survivor  of  this  gallant  band — Capt.  Francis 
Duffau,  now  a  much  respected  citizen  of  Austin,  Texas. 


158  LIFE  AND   COKKESPONDENCE   OF 

This  episode  in  the  life  of  Quitman  suggests  a  parallel 
between  him  and  Stephen  Girard,  a  man  of  proverbial 
shrewdness  and  good  sense,  yet  there  was  a  time  when 
he  was  considered  a  lunatic  by  his  most  intimate  friends. 
A  fearful  epidemic  yellow  fever  prevailed  in  Philadelphia 
in  1793.  Dismay  and  consternation  were  visible  in  every 
countenance.  All  who  could  fly,  fled.  Friends  avoided 
each  other  in  the  streets.  A  person  in  crape  was  shun 
ned  like  a  viper.  Husbands  and  wives,  parents  and  chil 
dren,  abandoned  each  other.  All  the  horrors  of  the 
plague  in  London,  as  described  by  Defoe  in  his  narra 
tive  of  that  terrible  visitation,  were  realized  in  Philadel 
phia.  The  poor,  when  stricken,  were  dragged  off  to  the 
Bush  Hill  Hospital,  whence,  under  the  panic  and  mal 
practice  that  prevailed,  few  ever  returned.  Massachu 
setts,  whose  sympathies  are  only  for  the  negro,  passed 
a  legislative  act  to  arrest,  turn  back,  or  imprison  any 
one,  of  any  age  or  sex,  sick  or  well,  coming  from  Phila 
delphia,  or  suspected  of  so  coming.  New  York  passed 
a  similar  law.  In  the  midst  of  this  panic  and  universal 
fear  of  contagion,  great  was  the  public  amazement  when 
it  was  announced  that  Girard,  the  wealthiest  merchant 
of  the  city,  had  taken  charge  of  Bush  Hill,  whence  no 
one  had  ever  returned,  waiting  on  the  sick,  shrouding 
the  dying,  and  interring  the  dead.  The  most  of  his  ac 
quaintances  declared  that  he  had  become  insane.  His 
death  was  considered  certain.  In  a  few  days  great  was 
the  astonishment  to  learn  that  Girard  was  neither  sick, 
or  dead,  or  crazy.  He  had  brought  order  out  of  chaos, 
had  substituted  a  better  treatment,  had  largely  dimin 
ished  the  mortality,  and  put  a  stop  to  the  silly  dread  of 
contagion  so  fatal  to  the  sick.  He  had  built  a  new  house 
and  rented  a  barn  in  the  vicinity,  to  accommodate  the 
patients  who  now  crowded  to  Bush  Hill  as  the  place 
where  they  could  hope  to  be  cured.  One  day  this  brave 


JOUN   A.    QUITMAN.  159 

man  disappeared  from  the  hospital,  and  the  report  re 
vived  that  he  was  dead.  But  he  was  found  in  a  large 
house  on  Fifth  Street,  in  which  he  had  installed  sixty 
little  orphan  children  whom  he  had  found  in  the  desert 
ed  streets.  This  was  the  foundation  of  the  Philadelphia 
Orphan  Asylum. 

The  history  of  Girard  in  '93  is  the  history  of  Quitman 
in  '3G.  Let  Texas  be  substituted  for  Philadelphia,  and 
Santa  Anna's  devastating  army  for  the  epidemic,  and  the 
analogy  is  complete.  Santa  Anna  had  entered  Texas, 
spreading  every  where  conflagration  and  massacre.  Uni 
versal  panic  prevailed.  Fanning  and  his  detachment 
had  been  treacherously  slain.  The  Alamo  had  fallen. 
Houston,  for  a  period,  had  no  force  to  arrest  the  head 
way  of  the  enemy.  The  Indians  held  a  menacing  atti 
tude.  The  people  were  terror-stricken. 

At  that  dreadful  crisis,  the  young,  wealthy,  and  distin 
guished  Quitman,  with  the  probability  of  certain  death 
staring  him  in  the  face,  determined  to  go  to  their  relief. 
His  friends  pronounced  the  undertaking  quixotic  and  in 
sane.  But  there  was  a  divinity  within  him,  which  buoyed 
him  up  against  remonstrances  and  sneers.  He  was  con 
stantly  asked  "  what  he  could  expect  to  do  with  his  hand 
ful  of  boys  against  that  powerful  and  glittering  host  ? 
what  but  to  die  ?"  "  We  will  die,  then,"  he  calmly  an 
swered,  "  for  I  feel  it  is  mij  duty  to  go."  They  declared 
him  a  doomed  and  demented  man.  His  wife  implored 
him,  but  his  moral  convictions  were  stronger  even  than 
his  affection  for  her.  His  example  was  felt  every  where. 
The  panic  subsided.  The  star  of  Texas  soon  burned 
brightly  in  the  horizon.  The  prodigy  of  San  Jacinto 
was  achieved,  and  her  independence  secured. 

On  the  death  of  General  Dickson,  a  representative  from 
Mississippi,  in  1830,  Judge  Quitman  resigned  his  seat  in 
the  state  Senate  and  became  a  candidate  for  Congress. 


160  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OS' 

The  election  for  President  was  then  pending.  General 
Jackson,  who  was  about  to  retire  from  office,  had  main 
tained,  against  all  opposition,  his  popularity  in  Mississip 
pi.  The  opposition,  confined  chiefly  to  the  western  or 
river  counties,  had  long  concentrated  on  Mr.  Clay,  whose 
national  doctrines  they  admired  and  approved.  For  Mr. 
Calhoun  they  had  no  admiration.  In  Wilkinson,  and  in 
a  few  counties  on  the  Tombigbee,  where  many  South 
Carolinians  had  settled,  Mr.  Calhoun  had  very  warm 
friends.  But  neither  his  friends,  nor  the  friends  of  Mr. 
Clay,  separately  or  combined,  could  contend  successfully, 
in  Mississippi,  with  the  popularity  of  Jackson.  The  nom 
ination  of  Mr.  Van  Bur  en  for  the  presidency  was  objec 
tionable  to  the  friends  of  both  Clay  and  Calhoun.  His 
political  creed  was  considered  by  Mr.  Clay  as  radical  and 
unsound,  and  his  imputed  connection  with  the  cabinet 
explosion,  and  proclamation  policy  of  General  Jackson, 
and  his  old  partiality  for  William  H.  Crawford,  of  Geor 
gia,  made  him  particularly  obnoxious  to  Mr.  Calhoun. 
The  friends  of  those  gentlemen,  therefore,  combined  to 
defeat  him,  but  with  singular  inconsistency  concentrated, 
in  the  South,  on  Hugh  L.  White,  of  Tennessee,  who  had 
advised  and  supported  all  the  prominent  measures  of  the 
Jackson  administration,  the  war  upon  the  bank,  the  veto 
power,  removals  from  office,  and  the  Proclamation  and 
Force  Bill.  Inferior  to  Mr.  Van  Buren  in  abilities  and 
position,  his  rupture  with  the  Democratic  party,  so  sud 
den  that  it  looked  like  desertion  for  the  sake  of  office, 
should  never  have  recommended  him  to  an  opposition 
embracing  so  much  of  the  talent  and  character  of  the  na 
tion,  especially  when  one  of  the  purest  and  most  illus 
trious  of  their  number  was  a  candidate  for  their  suffrages 
— the  late  General  Harrison — a  man  of  enlightened  un 
derstanding  and  of  moderate  opinions,  not  likely  to  adopt 
the  ultra  policy  of  either  of  the  great  leaders  of  the  na- 


JOIIX   A.  QUITMAN.  101 

tional  parties.  Had  the  opposition  concentrated  on  him, 
as  they  might  have  done  without  undue  concessions  of 
principle  on  their  part,  or  the  suspicion  of  treachery  on 
his,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  been  elected  in  1835. 
Without  any  concert  among  his  friends,  without  the 
agency  of  a  national  convention,  he  had  received  73  elec 
toral  votes,  Massachusetts  throwing  away  her  vote  for 
Webster,  South  Carolina  for  Mangum,  Tennessee  and 
other  states  for  White,  Pennsylvania,  Connecticut,  and 
Rhode  Island  giving  very  slim  majorities  to  Van  Buren. 
This  demonstration  of  popularity  with  the  masses  secured 
the  nomination  of  Harrison,  four  years  afterward,  against 
the  claims  of  Webster,  and  the  almost  imperative  de 
mand  of  Clay.  The  only  plea  for  the  adoption  of  White, 
in  Mississippi  and  other  Southern  States  was  the  un 
sound  plea  of  necessity  and  availability — the  improbabil 
ity  of  securing  a  majority  for  either  a  Whig  or  a  Nul- 
lilier — having  to  choose  between  Mr.  Van  Burcn  and 
some  other  statesman  of  the  same  party,  in  whose  polit 
ical  integrity  they  had  more  confidence.  Quitman  took 
this  view  of  the  case,  ran  for  Congress  on  the  White 
ticket,  and  was  defeated  with  it.  In  after  life  his  judg 
ment  did  not  approve  the  course  he  then  pursued.  Such 
coalitions  can  be  considered  only  as  political  errors,  or 
as  derelictions  from  principle.  They  are  either  based  on 
the  corruption  of  a  few  leaders,  or  on  speculations  as 
desperate  as  the  chances  of  a  gambler.  They  rarely  do 
any  good,  generally  much  evil,  and  are  altogether  de 
moralizing. 

The  conservative  doctrines  announced  by  President 
Van  Buren  in  his  inaugural  address,  and  the  enlightened 
financial  measures  he  had  the  moral  courage  to  recom 
mend  at  that  period  of  "  pressure"  and  "  panic,"  when  his 
co-operation  would  have  converted  the  republic  into  a 
government  of  corporations,  gradually  brought  Mr.  Cal- 


162  LIFE    AXD    COKKESPONDENCE    OF 

houn,  Quitman,  and  the  state-rights  men  generally,  to  his 
support.  They  perceived  the  error  they  had  fallen  into 
in  supporting  Judge  White,  whose  subsequent  coitrse 
and  associations  leave  little  room  to  doubt  that  his  elec 
tion  to  the  presidency  would  have  been  followed  by  the 
revival  of  the  bank,  the  distribution  of  the  public  funds, 
and  other  federal  schemes.  Mr.  Van  Buren,  on  the  con 
trary,  disdained  an  alliance  with  the  banking  power,  and, 
though  he  clearly  foresaw  that  to  separate  the  govern 
ment  from  the  banks  must  be  the  work  of  time,  and  that 
he  would  be  a  victim  to  the  "  madness  of  the  hour,"  he 
boldly  exposed  the  mischievous  tendencies  of  those  in 
stitutions,  their  corrupt  management  and  ambitious  de 
signs,  and  recommended,  in  their  stead,  the  INDEPENDENT 
TREASURY. 

In  doing  this,  he  virtually  surrendered  office ;  he  placed 
himself  upon  the  principles  of  the  Constitution,  and  doom 
ed  himself  to  popular  clamor,  to  the  hostility  of  the  com 
bined  capital  of  the  country,  and  to  defeat,  when,  by  pur 
suing  the  opposite  course,  he  might  have  tranquilized  his 
administration,  secured  his  re-election,  and  nominated  his 
successor.  His  administration  refuted  all  the  calumnies 
of  the  canvass,  and,  instead  of  seeking  to  perpetuate  his 
power  by  mercenary  combinations,  he  presented  the 
grand  spectacle  of  a  chief  magistrate  daring  to  be  right, 
when  the  people,  the  fountain  of  all  honor,  were  determ 
ined  to  be  wrong.  The  State  Rights  party  promptly 
gave  him  their  support,  until  a  difference  of  opinion  in 
relation  to  the  annexation  of  Texas  compelled  them  again 
to  separate. 

The  election  in  Mississippi  figured  up  as  follows  :  Van 
Buren,  9899  ;  White,  966G  :  Gholson,  9676  ;  Quitman, 
8897.  This  defeat,  however,  manifested  the  great  per 
sonal  popularity  of  Gen.  Quitman.  Party  spirit,  of 
course,  ran  high.  The  Democratic  candidate  for  Con- 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  1G3 

gress  was  an  able  man,  commanding  the  confidence  of 
his  party,  with  strong  local  influences  in  his  favor,  and 
popular  legislative  antecedents  to  recommend  him.  Quit- 
man's  reputation  was  chiefly  judicial;  he  had  opposed, 
in  the  convention,  the  popular  demand  for  the  election 
of  judges;  from  constitutional  scruples,  he  had  opposed 
the  admission  of  members  from  the  lately  organized 
counties ;  the  Whig  party,  and  many  of  the  Democrats, 
regarded  his  state-rights  doctrines  as  disorganizing  and 
destructive,  and  there  were  certain  absurd  sectional  prej 
udices  in  his  way.  Nor  had  he  canvassed  the  state. 

There  was  no  humiliation  in  this  defeat.  On  the  con 
trary,  like  AntOBUs,  he  sprung  up  from  it  refreshed,  and 
confident  in  himself  and  of  his  strength.  From  that 
contest  until  the  moment  of  his  death  he  was,  personally, 
the  most  popular  man  in  the  state,  and  throughout  the 
South  he  became  a  representative  man,  thoroughly  in 
dividualized  and  identified  with  a  peculiar  set  of  princi 
ples.  Instead  of  cherishing  resentment  and  chagrin,  as 
men  of  inferior  minds  would  have  done  under  similar 
circumstances,  he  drew  nearer  to  the  Democratic  party, 
and  supported  such  of  its  measures  as  he  could  reconcile 
with  his  severe  principles. 

In  1837  a  terrible  epidemic  ravaged  the  city  of  Natch 
ez.  A  number  of  the  Fencibles  sickened  and  died.  Quit- 
man  left  his  secure  retreat  in  the  vicinity  to  attend  them 
in  their  illness,  and  made  it  a  point  to  inter  them  with 
military  honors.  There  was  a  general  flight  of  the  citi 
zens,  but  duty  carried  him  every  day  into  the  midst  of 
the  epidemic,  and  at  night  to  guard  the  property  of  the 
fugitives  from  the  burglar  and  incendiary.  His  vener 
able  relative,  the  late  Judge  Edward  Turner,  one  of  the 
most  humane  and  benevolent  of  men,  thus  remonstrated 
with  him  on  his  imprudence : 


164  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE   OP 

From  Judge  Turner. 

"Franklin  Place,  October  18th,  1837. 

"My  hastily  but  firmly  expressed  opinion  the  other 
day  is  the  result  of  much  experience  and  reflection,  and 
is  the  judgment  of  discreet  medical  men,  given  years 
ago,  during  epidemics  such  as  is  now  afflicting  the  city. 
I  have  been  a  large  participator  in  those  trials  and  scenes 
of  distress  and  sorrow,  and  have  felt  and  suffered  deeply, 
and  without  flinching ;  but  I  never  felt  that  a  friend  was 
*  buried  like  a  dog,'  as  you  please  to  express  yourself, 
because  he  was  not  buried  with  military  pomp  ;  nor  that 
those  who  think  as  I  do  are  to  be  considered  timid,  as 
you  hint  in  your  note,  because  they  deem  it  prudent,  at 
such  times,  to  avoid  large  gatherings,  and  the  sun  and 
dust  in  a  pestilential  atmosphere.  If  you  will  consult 
our  best  physicians,  you  will  find  I  am  not  alone  in 
the  opinion  which  so  shocks  your  notions  of  duty  and 
humanity.  If  I  have  wounded  your  sensibility,  impute 
it  to  the  affectionate  regard  I  have  for  you  and  yours." 

In  1837  he  was  commissioned  by  Gov.  Lynch  briga 
dier  general  of  Mississippi  militia,  an  appointment  in 
which  he  took  peculiar  pride,  encouraging  the  formation 
of  volunteer  companies,  attending  the  semi-annual  re 
views,  and  bringing  his  command  into  a  high  state  of 
discipline.* 

*  In  those  "  flush"  times  it  required  a  long  purse  to  hold  office  in 
Mississippi.  A  canvass  for  Congress  cost  from  $5000  to  $10,000. 
Candidates  were  expected  to  indorse  for  their  "friends,"  to  loan  in 
discriminately,  to  pay  any  price  asked  for  entertainments,  and  to  es 
tablish  and  support  newspapers,  besides  sundry  other  outlays.  One 
canvass  cost  Mr.  Prentiss  $40,000.  When  Gov.  Lynch  and  Col.  J.  C. 
Wilkins  were  candidates  on  the  White  ticket,  and  Franklin  E.  Plurn- 
iner  was  the  financial  manager  of  the  canvass,  he  drew  from  each  of 
them  $10,000,  besides  borrowing  as  much  on  their  responsibility  from 
the  various  banks.  I  subjoin  a  copy  of  one  of  Gen.  Quitman's  mili 
tary  bills. 

1838.  To  City  Hotel,  Dr. 

Nov.  1.  Sundries  for  friends  from  Clinton $GO  00 

"  "          "    six 1250 

"  21.  Governor  and  suite 499  G2 

:'  19.  Treat  to  company TOO  00 

llcccivcd  payment,  $072   1 2 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  165 

In  1838,  finding  that  many  of  his  friends  <*f  the  Cal- 
houn  school  of  politics,  having  no  organization  in  Missis 
sippi,  were  co-operating  with  the  Whig  party,  and  thus 
losing  sight  of  the  old  landmarks  of  their  faith,  he  took 
the  opportunity  thus  to  define  his  sentiments : 

To  T.  Bole  and  S.  ShacMford. 

"Natchez,  Dec.  13th,  1838. 

"  GENTLEMEN, — On  my  return  from  Vicksburg  a  few 
days  since,  I  received  your  communication,  requesting 
my  opinions  upon  some  of  the  leading  political  questions 
of  the  day,  and  desiring  permission  to  give  them  public 
ity.  Believing  that  the  free  interchange  of  political  sen 
timents  tends  to  promote  inquiry,  elicit  truth,  and  -ex 
pose  error,  I  have  made  it  a  rule  never  to  disguise  my 
own.  Having  no  political  aspirations  to  gratify,  I  am 
not  interested  farther  than  the  patriotic  and  honest  of  all 
parties  arc  concerned  for  the  welfare  of  their  country. 
I  will  therefore  cheerfully  comply  with  your  request  by 
communicating  my  views  frankly  upon  the  several  sub 
jects  to  which  your  letter  refers,  regretting  that  the 
pressure  of  important  engagements  will  not  permit  me 
even  to  sum  up  the  reasons  or  arguments  which  have  ir 
resistibly  led  me  to  cherish  them  as  sound  and  orthodox 
licpublican  principles.  I  am,  on  questions  of  constitution 
al  law,  a  strict  disciple  of  the  political  school  in  which 
Jefferson,  and  more  recently  Calhoun,  were  able  ex 
pounders  and  teachers ;  in  favor  of  a  strict  construction 
of  the  federal  compact,  and  of  a  vigilant  and  jealous  pro 
tection  of  the  reserved  rights  of  the  states.  Believing 
that  the  latter  retain  also  the  remedy  adequate  to  that 
protection,  I  thus  claim  to  be  a  true  Loco  and  Nullifier. 
I  consider  the  system  of  internal  improvement  by  the 
federal  government  not  only  without  the  pale  of  its  dele 
gated  powers,  but  in  general  unjust,  partial,  and  corrupt 
ing  in  its  influence;  tending  to  promote  combinations 
and  log-rolling  schemes ;  tending  to  gratify  private  and 
sectional  avarice  at  the  expense  of  the  public  good;  caus 
ing  wasteful  and  useless  expenditures  of  the  public  funds, 
raised  from  the  industry  of  the  country  for  the  necessary 
support  of  government  alone.  The  federal  government 


166  LIFE   AND    COKEESPONDENCE    OF 

was  not  constituted  to  do  that  which  the  state  or  the 
people  can  do  without  its  agency. 

"  A  '  tariff  for  protection'  is  against  the  spirit  if  not 
the  letter  of  the  Constitution,  and,  in  my  opinion,  is  op 
posed  to  all  the  great  principles  of  free  trade,  that  con 
stitute  so  important  a  part  of  the  new  and  noble  science 
of  political  economy.  As  it  operated  in  the  United 
States  under  the  name  of  the  American  System,  it  was  in 
truth  a  system  of  legal  robbery. 

"  I  am  opposed  to  a  national  bank,  because  I  consider 
its  constitutionality  at  least  doubtful  in  any  shape,  but 
still  more,  because  I  believe  its  establishment  would 
tend  to  perpetuate  the  heavy  commercial  tribute  which 
the  states  now  pay  to  a  limited  number  of  Northern  mo 
nopolists  for  credit  based  upon  their  own  exports,  would 
destroy  forever  the  bright  prospects  now  dawning  upon 
us  of  a  direct  trade,  and  would,  I  fear,  soon  create  a  co 
lossal  money  power,  which,  by  the  concentration  of  capi 
tal  and  credit,  would  possess  the  despotic  control  of  all 
branches  of  industry,  oppress  the  productive  classes,  and 
either  wage  a  war  with  the  government,  or,  what  is  still 
worse,  would  succeed  in  corrupting  it  by  attaching  itself 
to  it  for  corrupt  purposes. 

"  I  am  decidedly  favorable  to  an  unqualified  separa 
tion  of  the  government  from  the  banks,  and  to  the  col 
lection  of  the  federal  revenue  in  the  constitutional  cur 
rency  ;  in  other  words,  to  the  Independent,  or  Sub-treas 
ury  Bill,  as  introduced  by  Mr.  Wright,  specie  clause  and 
all.  It  is  my  sincere  conviction  that  the  connection  of 
the  treasury  with  the  banks  would  soon  corrupt  both ; 
a  separation,  entire  and  eternal,  is  the  more  necessary  in 
the  present  condition  of  the  country,  when  stock-jobbing 
and  wild  and  visionary  schemes  of  creating  capital,  mis 
leading  the  public  mind  from  labor,  industry,  and  sound 
enterprise,  the  real  source  of  national  wealth,  prevail  to 
such  an  alarming  extent.  I  see  no  other  means  of  effect 
ually  checking  the  desolating  effects  which  must  result 
from  ill-digested  banking  schemes,  at  times  pampered 
and  stimulated,  and  then  again  depleted  to  exhaustion. 

"  The  receipt  and  expenditures  of  the  public  moneys, 
without  permitting  them  to  be  mingled  with  the  bank 
ing  capital  of  private  moneyed  corporations,  would,  in 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  167 

my  opinion,  keep  up  a  moderate  and  healthy  demand  for 
specie,  and  thus  operate  as  a  sure  check  to  excessive  is 
sue  of  paper  currency,  limiting  them  to  an  amount  al 
ways  convertible. 

"  It  would,  by  throwing  the  influence  of  the  money 
power  in  opposition  to  an  increase  of  revenue,  tend  to 
check  extravagant  expenditures  and  useless  appropria 
tions,  and  thus  reduce  the  revenue  and  expenses  of  the 
government  to  an  economical  standard,  enforce  reform, 
and  remove  all  temptation  to  dishonesty.  Nor  have  I  a 
doubt,  notwithstanding  the  senseless  clamor  of  some  of 
the  opponents  of  this  measure,  that  in  its  operation,  in 
stead  of  increasing,  it  would  diminish  the  executive  pat 
ronage,  in  precisely  the  same  ratio  that  the  influence  of 
money,  the  use  of  which  for  private  purposes  is  forbid 
den  under  severe  penalties,  is  less  than  if  permitted  to 
be  made  the  basis  of  bank  credit,  discount,  loans,  and  is 
sues.  The  custody  of  a  million  of  dollars,  locked  up  in 
an  iron  chest,  certainly  confers  less  powers  than  the  con 
trol  of  the  same  amount  used  frequently  as  the  basis  of 
banking  operations,  which,  it  is  supposed,  may  be  ex 
tended  to  three  times  the  amount  of  the  capital. 

"  In  every  point  of  view  in  which  I  have  been  enabled 
to  examine  the  subject,  I  am  led  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  country  would  be  benefited,  and  even  the  sound 
banks,  disposed  to  be  content  with  moderate  profits, 
would  be  rendered  more  independent  by  the  proposed 
divorce.  I  am  at  a  loss  to  perceive  how  a  genuine 
state-rights  man,  unprejudiced  and  impartial,  can  oppose 
measures  so  evidently  tending  to  promote  his  principles. 

"Diflering  entirely  and  radically  from  Messrs.  Clay, 
Harrison,  and  Webster  in  every  essential  political  tenet, 
I  certainly  shall  not  support  either  of  them  for  the  pres 
idency.  Believing  that  the  elevation  of  cither  of  these 
candidates  would  result  in  the  establishment  of  the  most 
dangerous  principles,  I  shall,  as  a  citizen,  do  all  I  can  to 
prevent  it.  I  consider  the  Nationals,  composing  a  great 
part  of  the  Whig  party,  as  Federalists  of  the  old  school, 
with  whom  I  have  no  elementary  feeling  in  common.  I 
shall  co-operate  freely  and  boldly  with  all  genuine  Re 
publicans,  be  they  Democrats  or  Nullifiers,  in  asserting 
the  principles  to  which  I  have  alluded. 


168  LIFE   AND   COKEESPONDENCE    OF 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  sincere  regret  to  me  to  perceive 
many  state-rights  men,  whom  I  know  to  be  sound  and 
orthodox  in  the  abstract,  and  with  whom  I  have  long  co 
operated,  disposed  to  rally  under  the  broad  banner  of  a 
candidate  for  President  whose  creed  is  the  very  opposite 
of  that  which  they  profess.  *  I  fear  they  permit  prejudice 
against  men  to  warp  their  judgments  upon  the  practical 
political  questions  of  the  day.  They  seem  to  be  aiding 
and  cheering  on  a  party  whose  success  will  overwhelm 
their  cherished  principles  and  all  the  great  bulwarks  of 
the  Constitution  in  one  common  ruin. 

"  I  have  thus,  gentlemen,  briefly  touched  upon  the  in 
teresting  subjects  presented  by  your  letter.  I  have  writ 
ten  this  reply  hastily,  without  time  for  revision  or  correc 
tion.  It,  however,  contains  my  honest  opinions.  If  you 
should  consider  them  of  any  interest,  you  are  at  liberty 
to  use  them." 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  109 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Sails  for  Europe. — Theatricals  in  Cork.  —  Irish  Beggars. —  Grand 
Review  in  Dublin. — London. — An  American  Lady. — Wellington 
and  Lord  Brougham. — The  Tomb  of  Andre. — The  Tower. — The 
Old  Bailey. — London  at  Midnight. — The  great  Bell  of  St.  Paul's. 
— The  Queen. — The  Royal  Chapel. — Sabbath  in  Rotterdam. — A. 
Yankee  Tar. —  Gin-drinking  among  the  Dutch. — Meets  an  old 
Townsman. — The  Dinner-table. — Coblentz. — Waterloo. — Fails  to 
sell  the  Bonds. — Letter  from  Thomas  S.  Munce. — Return  to  the 
United  States. 

Ox  the  25th  of  May,  1839,  Gen.  Quitman  sailed  from 
New  York  for  Liverpool,  with  the  view  of  negotiating 
the  bonds  of  the  Planters'  Bank  and  the  Mississippi 
Railroad  Company,  to  accomplish  the  completion  of  the 
road.  His  compaynon  de  voyage  was  the  Hon.  J.  S.  B. 
Timelier,  of  the  Natchez  bar.  They  embarked  in  the 
Sheridan,  Captain  De  Pcyster,  a  crack  ship  of  a  famous 
line.  She  made  the  run  from  land  to  land  in  thirteen 
days,  but  when  off  Cape  Clear  encountered  a  head-wind, 
which  the  captain  thought  would  baffle  her  for  eight  or 
ten  days.  Quitman  and  his  friend  got  on  a  "  hooker" 
alongside,  and  reached  Kinsale  at  night.  A  ride  of 
eighteen  miles,  through  a  pretty  country,  brought  them 
to  Cork.  Here  they  attended  the  theatre,  and  were 
more  entertained  by  the  audience  than  by  the  perform 
ance.  Loud  conversation  was  going  on  across  the  house, 
from  one  gallery  to  the  other  jokes  and  repartee,  while 
the  dress-circle  flashed  with  the  bright  eyes  and  jewels 
of  beautiful  women.  Presently  there  was  a  cry,  "Three 
cheers  for  Daniel  O'Connell!"  which  were  given  as  only 

VOL.  L— IT 


170  LIFE    AND    COERESPOXDENCE    OF 

Irishmen  can  give  them.  After  a  while,  three  groans 
for  "Sir  Robert  Pale"  (Peel).  This  was  the  first  time 
our  countrymen  had  heard  such  a  demonstration.  The 
English  cheer  and  the  wild  hurra  of  the  Germans  are 

O 

fixed  institutions  on  our  side  of  the  Atlantic,  but  the 
Irish  groan  has  not  yet  been  naturalized.  Before  the 
groans  had  well  subsided  there  was  a  call,  in  a  very 
shrill  treble,  "JTiree  cheers  for  the  Amirikin  jmtlemen 
in  the  boxes!"  This  was  startling.  They  were  stran 
gers  to  every  body.  Their  confusion  drew  upon  them 
every  eye.  The  cheers  were  given  obstreperously,  with 
three  times  three,  which  brought  Qnitman  to  his  legs. 
He  looked  as  though  he  was  about  to  make  a  fourth  of 
July  speech,  but,  on  reflection,  merely  bowed  his  ac 
knowledgments,  and  the  performance  went  on.  How 
this  incident  happened,  or  how  it  had  been  got  up,  they 
never  ascertained. 

By  the  Lakes  of  Killarney  and  Limerick  they  proceed 
ed  to  Dublin.  The  most  contented  class  of  people  they 
met  with  were  the  beggars.  They  rival  the  lazaroni  of 
Naples  in  idleness  and  the  enjoyment  of  mere  animal 
existence.  Half  a  dozen  were  frequently  seen  basking 
in  the  sun  half  asleep,  holding  their  hands  toward  the 
coach.  If  a  sixpence  was  held  up,  too  lazy  to  move, 
they  would  motion  to  the  passenger  to  pitch  it  to  them. 

On  the  18th  of  June,  the  anniversary  of  the  battle  of 
Waterloo,  they  witnessed  in  Phoenix  Park,  Dublin,  a 
grand  review.  Twelve  thousand  regulars,  under  the 
command  of  the  Marquis  of  Anglesey  (who  had  lost  a 
leg  in  the  battle),  exhibited  the  various  evolutions  of  that 
terrible  day.  The  manoeuvres  were  concluded  by  a  gen 
eral  charge  of  infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery,  the  clash 
of  martial  music  and  the  roar  of  a  hundred  cannon. 
Quitman  was  electrified.  He  cried  out,  "  Oh,  let  me  see 
a  field  like  this,  and  let  me  die !"  For  months  he  re- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  171 

curred  to  this  magnificent  spectacle.  It  set  his  military 
enthusiasm  in  a  blaze.*  The  grand  reviews  he  afterward 
saw  in  Paris  did  not  impress  him  so  much.  They  were 
dramatic  and  showy,  but  not  so  martial  and  imposing. 
The  display  of  cavalry  at  Dublin  and  tho  riding  far  sur 
passed  any  he  saw  on  the  Continent.  The  average 
weight  of  a  British  light  dragoon,  fully  accoutred,  is 
250  pounds;  a  heavy  dragoon  280  pounds;  a  cuirassier, 
308.  Great  power  is  required  to  carry  these  ponderous 
masses,  and  great  speed;  and  only  bloods,  and  half-bloods 
well  crossed,  are  accepted  for  the  service.  In  the  Crimea 
the  light  brigade  of  Lord  Cardigan,  which  made  the  cel 
ebrated  charge  and  retreat,  each  of  a  mile  and  a  half, 
were  mounted  on  horses  either  pure  or  three  parts  blood. 
Had  they  been  mounted  on  ordinary  horses  they  would 
have  been  annihilated  before  they  reached  the  Russian 
batteries.  The  heavy  brigade  of  General  Scarlett,  which 
rode  down  the  Russian  troopers  and  trampled  them  un 
der  foot,  wTere  mounted  on  chargers  having  two  crosses 
of  pure  blood. 

From  Dublin  they  went  to  Liverpool,  thence  to  Bir 
mingham,  Kenilworth,  Stratford -upon -Avon,  and  fair 
Woodstock,  paying  double  tolls  at  all  the  turnpike  gates 
for  traveling  on  Sunday.f 

*  Maj.  Gen.  Win.  O.  Butler,  writing  to  the  author,  April  9th,  1860, 
says :  "When  talking  on  military  matters,  it  was  manifest  that  Quit- 
man  was  something  of  an  enthusiast ;  but  his  was  an  enthusiasm  that 
served  to  stimulate  without  misleading  his  judgment.  He  was  a  mil 
itary  man  by  nature." 

f  Old  John  of  Gaunt,  "  time-honored  Lancaster,"  who  once  resided 
at  Kenilworth.  had  in  one  of  our  travelers  a  lineal  descendant.  Judge 
Thacher  is  the  17th  on  his  father's  side,  and  the  18th  on  his  mother's 
side,  in  direct  descent  from  Edward  III.,  King  of  England.  Nor  is 
his  genealogy  on  this  side  of  the  water  less  distinguished.  John 
Adams,  second  President  of  the  United  States,  wrote  of  his  great 
grandfather,  Oxenbridgc  Thaclier,  who  died  1705,  that  "he  was  the 
second  who  gave  the  first  impulse  to  the  ball  of  independence."  His 
grandfather,  the  Ilev.  Dr.  Thacher,  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Bunk 
er's  Hill,  and  wrote  the  best  account  of  it  ever  published.  In  an  ora- 


172  LIFE   AND   COKKESPONDENCE    OF 

In  London,  through  their  introductions,  and  the  kind 
ness  of  the  American  minister,  Mr.  Stevenson,  they  saw 
much  society  and  received  many  attentions.  They  met 
a  very  distinguished  circle  at  the  house  of  an  eminent 
American  merchant,  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes, 
whose  wife,  once  a  barefooted  lass  on  the  beach  of  Cape 
Cod,  entertained  the  hereditary  nobility  of  England  with 
a  grace  surpassed  by  none  of  them,  and  with  the  air  and 
mien  of  an  empress,  proud  of  her  origin  and  equal  to  her 
fortunes.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Marquis  of  Lans- 
downe  and  Lord  Brougham,  they  were  admitted  into  the 
House  of  Lords.  They  had  the  satisfaction  of  hearing 
the  Iron  Duke.  It  did  not  take  Wellington,  on  that  oc 
casion,  more  than  ten  minutes  to  express  his  sentiments, 
but  he  said  a  great  deal  in  that  time,  and  not  a  word 
amiss.  There  was  neither  eifort  nor  excitement  about 
him.  He  negligently  tapped  his  boot  with  his  riding- 
whip  while  he  was  speaking,  and  seemed  perfectly  indif 
ferent  as  to  the  reception  of  his  discourse.  The  Educa 
tion  Bill  was  before  the  Lords.  Lord  Brougham  deliv 
ered  a  powerful  and  elaborate  speech.  In  reply  to  some 
statement  in  disparagement  of  the  intellectual  capacity 
of  the  working  classes,  he  said  that  on  that  very  morn 
ing  he  had  been  called  on  by  a  deputation  of  people, 
dressed  in  paper  hats  and  leather  aprons,  who  complained 
that  a  work  he  had  himself  compiled  on  some  scientific 
subject,  for  public  instruction,  did  not  go  deep  enough 
into  the  matter,  and  was  altogether  imperfect  and  super 
ficial.  "And  now,  my  lords,"  said  he,  with  a  nasal  sneer 
long  drawn  out,  "  I  doubt  if  any  of  you  would  ever  make 
such  an  objection."  The  members  of  the  House  of  Lords, 

tion  which  he  delivered  to  the  American  troops  tinder  Washington, 
during  the  siege  of  Boston,  March  5th,  1776,  he  first  used  the  expres 
sion,  afterward  incorporated  into  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
"free  and  independent  states."  The  Natchez  descendant  of  this 
proud  line  of  patriots  and  of  kings  is  a  thorough-going  Democrat. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAISr.  173 

and  the  great  majority  of  the  Commons,  and  indeed  the 
bulk  of  the  people,  are  a  finely-developed  race.  They 
have  the  good  sense  to  cultivate  the  physical  powers  by 
manly  exercises  and  out-door  sports,  and  the  females  en 
joy,  to  a  great  extent,  a  similar  training. 

In  Westminster  Abbey,  among  the  tombs  of  the  mighty 
dead,  our  travelers  were  attracted  by  a  memorial  closely 
interwoven  with  the  history  of  their  own  country.  On 
a  moulded  paneled  base  and  plinth  stands  a  sarcophagus, 
on  which  is  inscribed,  "  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Major 
John  Andre,  who,  raised  by  his  merit,  at  an  early  pe 
riod  of  life,  to  the  rank  of  adjutant  general  of  the  Brit 
ish  forces  i)i  America,  and  employed  in  an  important 
but  hazardous  enterprise,  fell  a  sacrifice  to  his  zeal  for 
his  king  and  country,  on  the  2d  October,  1780,  aged  29, 
universally  beloved  and  esteemed  by  the  army  in  which 
he  served,  and  lamented  even  by  his  foes.  His  gracious 
sovereign,  King  George  TIL,  has  caused  this  monument 
to  be  erected" 

On  the  plinth  is  inscribed,  "  The  remains  of  Major 
Andre  were  deposited,  on  the  2,8th  November,  1821,  near 
this  monument"  The  sarcophagus  is  adorned  with  em 
blematic  figures ;  one  of  them  holds  a  flag  of  truce,  and 
is  in  the  act  of  presenting  to  Gen.  Washington  the  letter 
which  Andre  addressed  to  him  the  night  previous  to  his 
execution.* 

Washington,  it  is  well  known,  was  deeply  moved  by 

*  "  Sin. — Buoyed  above  the  terror  of  death  by  the  consciousness  of 
a  life  devoted  to  honorable  purposes,  and  stained  with  no  action  that 
can  give  me  remorse,  I  trust  that  the  request  which  I  make  your  ex 
cellency  at  this  serious  period,  and  which  is  to  soften  my  hist  mo 
ments,  will  not  be  rejected.  Sympathy  toward  a  soldier  will  certain 
ly  induce  your  excellency  and  a  military  tribunal  to  adapt  the  mode 
of  my  death  to  the  feelings  of  a  man  of  honor.  Let  me  hope,  sir.  that 
if  aught  in  my  character  impresses  you  with  esteem  toward  me  ;  if 
aught  in  my  misfortune  marks  me  as  the  victim  of  policy  and  not  of 
resentment,  I  shall  experience  the  operation  of  those  feelings  in  your 
breast  by  being  informed  that  I  am  not  to  die  on  a  gibbet." 


174  LIFE  AND   COEEESPONDENCE   OF 

this  letter,  and  so  was  the  tribunal  that  adjudged  the 
case.  But  the  request  could  not  be  granted,  and  the 
unfortunate  soldier  was  executed  as  a  spy,  manifesting 
the  utmost  fortitude  and  composure  to  the  last.  Many 
writers  have  contended  that  the  prayer  of  Andre  for 
military  execution  should  have  been  granted;  that,  as 
men  of  undoubted  honor  and  of  high  rank  often  accept 
the  same  risk  for  their  country  and  penetrate  the  ene 
my's  lines  in  disguise,  there  can  be  nothing  so  disgrace 
ful  in  it  as  to  demand  a  felon's  death ;  that  the  service  is 
strictly  military,  and  the  penalty  should  be  in  accord 
ance  with  military  law. 

Gen.  Quitman  considered — notwithstanding  the  Brit 
ish  government,  by  placing  the  ashes  of  Andre  in  this 
national  mausoleum,  had  classed  him  among  its  heroes, 
and  virtually  reproached  Washington  with  cruelty — that 
tlie  proceedings  against  Andre  were  right,  and  that  his 
prayer  had  been  justly  rejected.  Such  missions,  insidi 
ous  and  unmanly  in  their  very  nature,  so  inconsistent 
with  honorable  warfare,  so  fatal,  if  successful,  to  an 
army,  should  be  discouraged  by  inflicting  the  most  ig 
nominious  punishment.  Besides,  the  hanging  of  Capt. 
Hale,  of  the  Connecticut  line,  only  a  short  time  previous, 
under  circumstances  of  aggravated  cruelty,  rendered  the 
death  of  Andre  on  the  gibbet  imperative. 

What  most  interested  Quitman  in  London  was  the 
Tower  and  the  Inns  of  Court.  His  mind  was  essential 
ly  military  and  judicial,  and  here  it  was  fully  occupied. 
At  once  a  fortress,  a  palace,  a  prison,  and  a  tomb,  there 
is  not  in  this  old  Tower  a  turret,  hall,  chapel,  gateway, 
court,  stair-case,  or  chamber  that  does  not  tell  its  story 
of  vicissitude,  suffering,  crime,  and  blood.  In  the  cele 
brated  "Hall  of  Arms"  are  deposited  the  weapons  of 
war  from  the  earliest  periods  of  British  history  to  the 
present  day.  We  speak  with  admiration  of  the  won- 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  175 

derful  improvement  in  agricultural  implements,  but  it  is 
clear,  after  an  inspection  of  this  great  repository,  that 
much  more  genius  and  skill  have  been  lavished  in  de 
vising  ways  and  means  to  "  shuffle  off  this  mortal  coil." 
Death,  with  his  old-fashioned  sickle,  is  too  slow  for  this 
"  fast"  age,  and  the  ingenuity  of  man  has  come  to  his 
assistance. 

The  famous  criminal  court,  the  "  Old  Bailey,"  being 
in  session,  Quitman  visited  it  to  see  how  justice  was  ad 
ministered.  The  contracted  space  set  apart  for  specta 
tors  was  crowded  with  the  friends  of  the  accused  parties, 
not  the  most  savory  neighbors,  but  a  shilling  fee  intro 
duced  them  very  near  the  be-gowned  and  be-wigged 
lawyers  in  the  bar.  Justice  was  dealt  out  in  double- 
quick  time.  One  or  two  witnesses  were  sharply  ex 
amined  ;  very  brief  speeches  made ;  a  briefer  charge  de 
livered  ;  a  putting  of  heads  together  by  the  jury  without 
leaving  the  box ;  the  word  "  Guilty"  uttered  by  the  fore 
man,  and  the  "  sentence"  instantaneously  pronounced. 
Among  the  rest,  a  small  boy  was  sent  on  his  travels  to 
a  penal  colony,  after  a  trial  of  only  twelve  minutes,  for 
having  stolen  a  mason's  trowel ! 

The  judges  here  bustled  from  the  bench,  as  the  bailiff 
said,  "  for  'alf  han  'our  to  heat  sandwiches  hand  drink 
sherry,"  and  Quitman  and  his  friend  took  occasion  to 
withdraw,  deeply  impressed  with  the  folly  of  drum-head 
court-martials  in  halls  of  justice,  and  with  the  wisdom 
of  the  old  fogy  maxim,  "  Festina  lente?"1  —  deliberate 
speed. 

Quitman  used  to  say  that  he  never  \had  an  adequate 
notion  of  the  population  of  London  until  he  undertook 
a  midnight  walk  through  "  the  city"  to  his  hotel  in  the 
"  West  End."  When  he  reached  St.  Paul's  it  was  just 
12  P.M. ;  but  the  streets  were  filled  with  vehicles  of 
every  description,  and  the  pavements  as  densely  packed 


176  LIFE   AND   COKKESPONDENCE    OF 

with  foot-passengers  as  when  he  had  passed  at  midday. 
The  gaslights  from  the  street  lamps  and  the  illuminated 
windows  of  the  shops  lit  up  the  moving  panorama  as 
with  the  light  of  day,  while  the  great  bell  of  St.  Paul's, 
more  than  four  hundred  feet  above  their  heads, 

"  Swinging  slow,  with  sullen  roar," 

tolled  "  the  witching  hour  of  night."  High  above  the 
crashing  tumult  of  the  streets,  this  numerical  thunder 
made  itself  counted.  The  great  bell  is  heard  at  Wind 
sor  Castle,  twenty  miles  from  London.  A  sentry  on 
duty  in  the  castle  was  ouco  accused  of  sleeping  on  his 
post,  but  defended  himself  by  alleging  that  on  that  par 
ticular  night  he  heard  St.  Paul's  strike  thirteen  times  for 
midnight.  This  was  found  to  have  been  so,  and  he  was 
acquitted.  It  is  usually  two  at  night  before  the  moving 
column  on  the  street  dwarfs  down  to  a  straggling  line 
of  wayfarers,  the  houseless  unfortunate  or  the  prowling 
vagabond,  having  no  place  wherein  to  lay  their  heads ; 
and  at  all  hours  there  is  a  hoarse  murmur,  as  of  a  heavy 
surf  rolling  upon  some  distant  shore. 

While  walking  in  St.  James's  Park  one  fine  Sabbath 
morning,  near  Buckingham  Palace,  General  Quitman  and 
Judge  Thacher  had  the  honor  to  salute  her  majesty  on 
her  way  to  the  Royal  Chapel.  She  returned  it  with  a 
smile,  and  so  pleasantly  they  resolved  to  attend  divine 
worship  at  the  same  shrine.  But  when  they  arrived, 
they  found  that  the  sacred  promise,  "  Knock,  and  it  shall 
be  opened  unto  you,"  was  no  passport  to  their  admis 
sion.  Thacher  argued  with  the  sanctimonious  and  be 
dizened  janitor  that  they  were  strangers  from  the  South 
ern  States  of  America ;  but  the  official  remarked,  "  That 
can  not  be  so,  for  you  are  both  as  white  as  I  am."  While 
Thacher  was  smothering  his  wrath  at  this  insinuation 
and  swearing  that  he  was  a  sovereign  at  home,  and  had 


JOHN  A.  QUmiAN.  177 

older  blood  and  better  blood  than  Queen  Victoria  in 
his  veins,  Quitman  quietly  stepped  up  and  slipped  half  a 
guinea  in  his  hand.  The  door  flew  open,  and,  with  low 
bows,  they  were  ushered  to  a  convenient  seat. 

On  the  15th  of  July  they  left  London  for  Rotterdam, 
where  they  arrived  next  day.  While  pulling  about  the 
various  canals  to  see  the  town,  they  came  under  the 
stern  of  a  small  brig  which  displayed  the  stars  and 
stripes.  On  the  rail  aft  a  young  fellow  w^as  leaning, 
staring  into  the  town.  "  What  brig — where  from  ?"  said 
Quitman.  In  true  Yankee  style  the  answer  came, 

"Who  hails?" 

"  Countryman.     Who  commands  that  brig  ?" 

"  Sarah  Ann,  of  Salem,  Capt.  Job  Pratt,  who's  jist  gone 
ashore  to  meetin'." 

As  they  pulled  off,  he  cried  out,  "  Come  aboard.  Do 
come,  and  take  some  rum  and  'lasses." 

It  was  the  Sabbath,  but  the  great  bulk  of  the  Rotter 
dam  people  were  in  the  fields  and  public  gardens,  with 
their  children  around  them,  indulging  in  recreation  and 
chit-chat — a  cheerful  scene,  in  pleasant  contrast  with  the 
stillness  and  dullness  of  the  same  day  in  the  large  cities 
of  England  and  the  United  States. 

In  early  times  in  New  England,  and  now,  it  Is  pre 
sumed,  in  some  parts  of  it,  the  Sabbath  commenced  at 
sundown  on  Saturday  evening,  and  continued  until  the 
same  hour  next  day.  The  children,  their  features  sharp 
ened  by  abstinence  and  constraint,  grouped  themselves 
at  the  window  looking  to  the  west,  and,  as  soon  as  the 
sun  sank,  would  sing  out,  "  Hurra !  boys,  Sunday's  out !" 

The  Sabbath  should,  unquestionably,  be  a  day  of  wor 
ship  and  of  rest ;  but  worship  may  spring  from  the  grate 
ful  emotions  of  the  heart,  as  well  as  from  the  grand  an 
thems  of  the  choir ;  and  rest  may  be  found  in  the  social 
circle,  as  well  as  in  a  hired  seat,  in  the  glare  of  worldly 
112 


178  LIFE   AND    COEEESPONDENCE    OF 

splendor,  under  the  drowsy  and  formal  accents  of  a  pen 
sioned  preacher. 

"  Religion  never  was  designed 
To  make  our  pleasures  less." 

At  any  rate,  this  seemed  to  be  the  opinion  of  the  Rot- 
terdamese,  and  of  the  people  of  the  Continent  generally. 
The  next  day  the  general  and  his  party  visited  the 
town  of  Bommel,  on  the  Rhine,  in  search  of  his  relatives, 
the  descendants  of  Admiral  de  Vericn.  In  the  evening, 
when  it  was  ascertained  that  they  were  Americans,  they 
were  waited  on  by  the  most  substantial  burghers,  and 
invited  to  the  Casino,  where  citizens  of  standing  usually 
resorted.  The  general  spoke  the  language  fluently,  and 
became  the  centre  of  the  crowd.  He  answered  a  thou 
sand  questions  about  our  sources  of  prosperity,  our  recep 
tion  of  immigrants,  and  our  institutions,  and  was  deep  in 
state  rights,  Avhen  a  little  boy  entered  the  circle  with  a 
salver  filled  with  liqueur  glasses.  It  proved  to  be  pure 
Hollands,  of  exquisite  flavor.  Every  ten  minutes,  while 
the  general  was  discoursing,  the  little  fellow  came  round. 
After  this  had  been  repeated  fifteen  or  twenty  times,  the 
American  guests  contented  themselves  with  merely  put 
ting  the  glasses  to  their  lips,  but  the  cry  was  universal, 
"  Dririken  out" — thus  hinting  very  plainly  that  the  Bom 
mel  aristocracy  tolerated  no  "  heel  taps."  There  was  no 
evading  the  etiquette,  and  the  drinking  was  honest  and 
accurate.  It  was  fearful  odds — gin-drinking  Dutchmen 
against  Yankees,  and  under  their  own  juniper-tree! 
They  saw  with  a  shudder,  through  the  tobacco-smoke, 
the  yellow  curls  and  violet  blue  eyes,  set  in  porcelain,  of 
the  little  white-aproned  boy,  with  his  tray  suspended  by 
a  leather  strap  around  his  neck,  and  as  he  reached  them 
in  his  incessant  rounds,  crying,  "  Schnapps !"  our  friends 
were  strongly  tempted  to  fly.  At  last,  however,  there 
was  a  general  movement.  Some  dozen  gentlemen  es- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  179 

corted  the  strangers  to  their  inn.  On  reaching  it,  they 
found  the  landlord  at  the  door,  evidently  anticipating 
the  visit.  Instead  of  retiring  then,  as  they  expected,  the 
escort  followed  them  in,  where  the  landlord  had  pipes 
and  tobacco  in  waiting,  and,  before  they  were  fairly  seat 
ed,  another  little  boy,  as  like  the  other  as  two  peas,  with 
his  apron  and  tray,  and  yellow  curls  and  blue  eyes  and 
china  face,  was  circulating  the  liqueur  glasses !  When 
a  Dutchman  sits  down,  he  is  not  going  to  get  up  in  a 
hurry.  Finding  they  were  in  for  it,  the  American  repu 
tation  at  stake,  and  an  escort  in  their  own  hotel,  they  re 
signed  themselves  to  what  Sir  Walter  Scott  calls  "  seri 
ous  drinking."  They  soon  saw,  or  fancied  they  saw, 
two  little  boys,  two  trays,  and  two  sets  of  liqueur  glass 
es,  and  the  company  seemed  to  multiply  amazingly. 

The  social  bout,  however,  came  to  an  end,  and  at  a  cer 
tain  hour  next  day  they  rose  perfectly  sound.  What  a 
pity  the  great  Udolpho  Wolfe  can' not  get  a  recipe  from 
the  burghers  of  Bommel ! 

After  visiting  some  relatives  of  his  mother  at  Rossum, 
Quitman  proceeded  to  Dusseldorf,  and  traveled  post  into 
Westphalia,  the  country  of  his  forefathers.  The  roads 
are  excellent.  There  are  no  wayside  cottages  or  fences. 
The  necessity  that  anciently  compelled  people  to  congre 
gate  in  villages  and  fortified  towns  has  become  the  cus 
tom  of  the  country.  Agricultural  laborers  walk  five  or 
ten  miles  every  morning  to  their  daily  toil.  Cattle  are 
stabled,  or  closely  watched  when  on  pasture,  and  hence 
there  is  no  necessity  for  inclosures.  The  road  is  lined 
on  either  side  with  stately  Lombardy  poplars,  here  called 
the  "King  of  Prussia's  grenadiers."  Post-horses  on  this 
route  were  strong  and  serviceable.  The  postillion  every 
now  and  then  dismounts,  and  baits  them  with  a  few 
slices  of  coarse  brown  bread,  which  he  carries  in  the 
boot. 


180  LIFE    AND    COEEESPOISTDENCE    OF 

He  visited  Iserlohn,  where  the  Quitinans  resided  in  re 
mote  times.  It  lies  in  the  spurs  of  the  Hartz  Mountains, 
and  is  famous  for  its  mines  and  zinc  manufactories.  Over 
the  entrance  to  several  of  these  artificial  caverns  the  name 
of  QUITMAX  was  engraved  in  iron  in  Gothic  capitals,  thus 
indicating  the  original  proprietor  of  the  mines.  At  Loest, 
enjoying  a  baronial  castle  and  its  honors,  he  was  enter 
tained  with  great  hospitality  by  his  old  friend,  William 
Brune,  who,  after  having  made  a  large  fortune  in  the 
hardware  business  at  Natchez,  had  returned  to  his  na 
tive  country  and  purchased  a  barony.  The  general  met 
at  his  table  a  number  of  distinguished  military  men,  who 
were  found  w^ell  versed  in  the  history  of  our  country. 
Dinner  commenced  with  the  pudding  and  ended  with 
soup,  interspersed  alternately  with  substantial  and  deli 
cacies.  After  dinner  every  one  was  expected  to  contrib 
ute  a  song.  Baron  Brune  led  off  with  "  Yankee  Doodle," 
the  words  a  jeu  d"1  esprit  of  the  late  Francis  Baker,  in 
which  Captain  James  K.  Cook,  an  old  editor  of  Natchez, 
was  the  hero. 

"  Captain  Cook  went  on  the  bluff 

A  firing  off  his  cannon, 
And  every  time  he  fired  it  off 
He  used  a  yard  of  flannel,"  etc. 

The  Prussian  officers  heartily  joined  in  the  refrain,  and 
roared  off, 

"Yankee  doodle,  doodle  doo,  Yankee  doodle  dandy," 

in  true  German  style.  Quitman  gave  the  "  Banner  Song  " 
of  the  Natchez  Fencibles,  which  he  considered  the  best 
piece  of  music  extant,  and  Thacher  followed  with  "  Old 
Rosin  the  Bow,"  which  quite  electrified  the  company, 
who  joined  lustily  in  the  chorus.  Next  morning  a  Ger 
man  translation  of  these  songs  appeared,  and  they  are 
now  sung  in  many  parts  of  the  father-land. 

At  Cologne,  famous  for  its  perfumed  waters  and  its 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  181 

concentrated  stinks,  they  crossed  the  Rhine  on  a  bridge 
of  boats,  such  as  was  introduced  by  Julius  Caesar  in  his 
conquest  of  the  country,  whose  footsteps  may  be  said  to 
be  still  visible  wherever  he  carried  the  Roman  eagles. 
At  Coblentz,  at  the  table  d'hote,  the  carte  des  vins  had 
on  it  a  wine  entitled  Pis-porta.  The  explanation  was, 
that  it  was  made  at  a  vineyard  near  the  ruins  of  a  Roman 
gate,  or  portal,  which  still  bore  the  inscription,  Pisonis 
Porta,  or  the  gate  of  Pisa. 

After  calling  on  the  Rothschilds  at  Frankfort-on-the- 
Maine,  to  arrange  his  business,  the  general  and  his  friend 
paid  a  visit  to  the  field  of  Waterloo.  A  cicerone,  as 
usual,  was  accepted,  who  commenced  his  description  of 
the  details  of  the  battle,  pointing  out  the  position  of  the 
different  corps  of  the  two  armies,  and  the  sacred  places 
where  distinguished  officers  had  fallen.  The  enthu 
siasm  of  Quitman  became  intense,  and,  interrupting  the 
guide,  he  took  up  the  narrative,  and  entered  into  a  mi 
nute  and  critical  account  of  the  operations  of  that  event 
ful  day.  The  guide  listened  in  silent  admiration  for  a 
while,  as  did  a  trio  of  British  officers  who  had  joined 
them.  At  length,  lifting  his  cap  and  bowing  to  the 
ground,  he  said,  "  I  have  the  honor  of  standing  in  the 
presence  of  a  general  of  Waterloo !"  Quitman  laughed, 
and  said  to  his  party,  "I  have  had  a  chart  of  this  ground 
in  my  head  for  years ;  it  seems  to  have  been  specially 
designed  for  a  great  battle.  It  is  but  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  but  to  me  it  appears  higher  than  the  Pyramids." 

Having  failed,  in  consequence  of  the  pressure  of  the 
times,  the  prostration  of  American  securities,  and  the  mis 
management  of  the  Natchez  Railroad  corporation  in  his 
absence,  to  dispose  of  their  bonds,  he  embarked  at  Lon 
don  on  the  "  British  Queen"  for  New  York.*  The  voy- 

*  The  late  Thomas  S.  Muncc,  who  held  a  confidential  position  in. 
the  bank,  addressed  him  while  in  Europe  as  follows  : 


182  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE   OF 

age  was  unpleasant,  the  weather  stormy,  and  the  ship 
and  her  officers  were  not  to  be  bragged  of.     A  protract- 

"  Natchez,  July  23d,  1839. 

"My  gratitude  and  affection  for  you  will  not  let  me  lie  down 
and  see  engagements  entered  into  (without  your  knowledge,  and  the 
burden  of  which  you  will  have  to  bear),  and  the  credit  of  the  com 
pany  jeopardized,  and  you  thrown  forward  to  meet  the  storm.  I  may 
not  'have  penetration  enough  to  perceive  the  wisdom  of  the  policy  of 
our  board,  yet  I  can  not  believe  that  we  have  any  right  to  extend  our 
engagements  one  dollar  until  the  receipt  of  satisfactory  intelligence 
from  you.  If  I  understood  arrangements  rightly,  not  one  additional 
contract  should  have  been  let,  and  the  farther  prosecution  of  the  road 
depended  upon  your  success  in  Europe.  You  had  scarcely  left  the 
United  States  before  '  to  let  contracts'  were  published.  Of  course, 
they  were  taken,  and  perhaps  low  enough,  as  they  are  to  be  paid  in 
our  currency.  Our  own  circulation  now  consists  of  12  months  post- 
notes,  bearing  5  per  cent,  interest ;  they  are  only  25  per  cent,  discount. 
Our  currency  (made  up  of  all  sorts  of  notes  and  shin-plasters)  is,  of 
course,  a  grade  lower.  Thirteen  sections,  running  to  Torry's  store, 
have  been  let.  We  are  building  a  splendid  depot,  and  putting  a  brick 
wall  around  the  same ;  likewise  a  machine-shop,  and  are  about  to 
make  a  conti-act  for  a  road  to  the  river.  There  are  other  smaller  en 
gagements.  This  may  be  all  right,  and  in  consonance  with  the  truo 
interests  of  the  company,  but  it  seems  to  me  vastly  imprudent.  To 
be  sure,  it  is  easy  to  make  and  sign  post-notes  at  12  months  and  5 
per  cent.,  but  they  will  come  due  some  day;  and  it  seems  to  me 
that  we  are  saddling  ourselves  with  a  debt  that  will  cripple  us  for 
years,  even  if  you  succeed  in  disposing  of  the  bonds.  To  let  you  see 
what  new  engagements  you  will  have  to  provide  for,  let  me  specify : 

"13  sections  of  road $325,000 

Depot 35,000 

Shop 20,000 

lliver  road,  probably 80,000 

$400,000 
Our  circulation — 

On  demand , 8,000 

G  months  post-notes,  due  in  September GG,  000 

8    do.  do 27,000 

12  do.  do.          due  May,  June,  July 894,000 

$495,000 

I  fear  this  showing  will  discourage  you,  but  it  is  my  duty  to  advise 
you  of  it,  if  nobody  else  will." 

No  wonder  that  this  concern  soon  afterward  blew  up  with  a  crash 
that  shook  every  pane  of  glass  in  Natchez,  and  took  the  meat  out  of 
the  pot  of  many  a  poor  family.  The  other  kindred  institutions  through 
out  the  state  followed  the  same  road ;  and  as  all  men  and  all  parties 
had  supported  and  confided  in  them,  so  all  alike  shared  the  general 
distress,  save  the  few  who  were  in  the  secret  all  the  time,  who,  by  bor 
rowing  large  amounts  from  the  banks,  and  investing  in  lands  and  ne- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  183 

ed  tempest,  and  a  fire,  providentially  discovered  just  in 
time  to  save  the  ship,  and  a  proposition  at  one  time  en 
tertained  to  depose  the  captain  and  put  her  in  the  hands 
of  a  more  competent  or  vigilant  officer,  for  the  common 
safety,  were  the  only  incidents  of  the  voyage. 

To  his  Brother. 

"London,  August  llth,  1839. 

"  Since  I  wrote  last  I  have  been  to  the  Continent,  trav 
eling  up  the  Rhine  to  Frankfort,  and  thence  to  Paris. 
My  principal  object  was  to  make  an  effort  with  the  cap 
italists  of  Holland,  Germany,  and  France  to  negotiate 
some  of  my  bonds.  I  could  not  succeed.  Money  is  also 
scarce  at  every  point,  and  interest  high.  They,  of  course, 
prefer  investments  in  their  own  country,  and  can  not  be 
induced  to  touch  others.  On  my  way  up  the  Rhine  I 
stopped  at  Bommel,  and  made  inquiries  for  the  family  of 
Admiral  De  Verien,  the  husband  of  our  mother's  sis 
ter.  He  is  dead.  I,  however,  met  with  his  brother  and 
nephew,  by  whom  I  was  received  very  kindly.  They 
told  me  that  two  of  our  cousins  resided  at  the  small  town 
of  Rossum.  There  I  accordingly  went,  and  met  with 
Mrs.  Du  Fee,  wife  of  Captain  Du  Fee,  of  the  Dutch  navy, 
and  her  sister,  Matthia  Henrietta  De  Verien,  being  full 
cousins  of  ours.  They  received  me  very  affectionately, 
and  spoke  most  feelingly  of  the  affection  and  love  of  their 
mother  to  ours,  which  they  had  often  heard  of.  The 
other  children  I  did  not  see,  to  wit,  Jan  Casper,  Carl 
Cornelius,  and  Anna  Elizabeth,  married  to  a  public  offi 
cer  named  Kinschat,  all  of  whom  live  at  Rotterdam. 
This  family  is  among  the  best  of  Holland,  and  they  ap 
pear  to  live  comfortably.  At  Iserlohn,  in  Westphalia,  I 
called  on  two  ladies,  named  Shirriffe,  who  were  daugh 
ters  of  a  Mr.  Quitman,  their  brother,  a  young  man  of  our 
name,  not  being  at  home.  All  I  could  learn  was  that 
their  father's  grandfather  and  ours  were  brothers.  I 
went  to  see  an  old  gentleman  at  the  zinc  factory  who 

groes,  amassed  colossal  fortunes,  often  going,  six  months  or  a  year 
thereafter,  to  the  very  men  from  whom  they  had  purchased  their  es 
tates,  buying  up  the  worthless  hank  issues  at  30,  20,  and  even  10  cents 
in  the  dollar,  to  repay  their  original  debt  to  the  hanks. 


184  LITE   AND   COKKESPOXDENCE   OF 

was  descended  from  Quitmans  on  both  sides.  He  in 
formed  me  that  one  branch  of  the  family  had  gone  to 
Cleves  several  generations  past,  but  that  he  had  not  the 
4  stamff  baum'  (genealogical  tree) ;  that  it,  however,  was 
still  in  existence.  He  took  me  to  an  old  zinc  factory,  on 
which  was  inscribed, '  Joh :  Fred :  Quitman,  medecin  doc 
tor  und  prac.  1752,  and  Joh :  Flem :  Quitman  Kauf  Rath- 
man,  und  hospitals  prov.  1752,'  as  the  founders  of  the 
factory.  This  family  is  one  of  the  richest  and  most  re 
spectable  in  that  country.  I  saw  also  the  tombs  of  some 
of  the  family,  and  the  church-pew  which  they  had  occu 
pied  for  more  than  a  century.  When  I  saw  the  hills 
about  Cleves  and  the  prune  orchards,  I  could  not  but 
think  of  the  time  when  our  father,  a  beautiful  and  healthy 
boy,  was  bounding  among  them.  Along  through  this 
region  of  country  is  the  finest  race  of  people  I  have  seen 
in  Europe.  I  traveled  from  Frankfort  to  Paris,  spent  a 
few  days  there,  and  returned  to  this  place  to  make  an 
other  effort  here  to  raise  some  money.  I  will  probably 
sail  for  home  about  the  beginning  of  September.  I  shall 
be  very  happy  to  return.  I  have  stored  away  much  in 
formation,  and  have  learned  much,  but  I  prefer,  in  every 
respect,  our  own  country,  and  shall  be  more  contented 
than  I  have  ever  been  with  the  oaks  of  Monmouth  and 
its  tranquil  retirement." 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  185 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Resumes  the  Practice  of  Law. — Pecuniary  Embarrassment. — Attach 
ment  to  his  Slaves. — Horror  of  Debt. — Benton  and  Calhoun. — Let 
ter  to  his  Brother. — Plantation  Economy. — Peculiarities  of  Ne 
groes. — How  they  should  be  treated. — Texas  and  Santa  Anna. — 
Letter  to  Gen.  Houston. — The  Union  Bank  Bond  Question. — Chief 
Justice  Smith.  —  Quitman's  Views. — The  Anti-bonders. — Argu 
ment. — Political  Condition  of  the  State. — Social  Demoralization. — 
The  Banks. — Mob  Law. — The  great  Union  Bank. — Its  Kise  and 
Fall. — Errors  of  the  Bond-payers. — Quitman's  Position. — Becomes 
a  Candidate  for  the  U.  S.  Senate. — Attacked  by  Gov.  M'Nutt. — 
His  Defense. — Gen.  Foote. — Is  defeated. — Political  Treachery. 

Ox  his  return  to  Natchez,  Gen.  Quitman,  never  con 
tent  with  inaction,  renewed  his  partnership  with  John 
T.  M'Murran,  Esq.,  who  had  read  law  in  his  office,  and 
had  become  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  in 
the  state.  At  this  period  the  General  was  somewhat 
embarrassed,  owing  to  the  depreciation  of  securities  of 
every  kind  and  the  heavy  liabilities  he  had  incurred  for 
friends.  To  pay  these  liabilities,  after  exhausting  the 
proceeds  of  his  crops,  he  borrowed  money  at  10  and  12 
per  cent.,  and  now  relied  on  his  profession  to  meet  his 
engagements.  It  is  in  allusion  to  this  embarrassment 
that  the  following  letter  was  written  to  one  who  was  in 
debted  to  him.  It  is  inserted  to  show  the  strong  attach 
ment  he  had  for  his  faithful  slaves,  the  best  friends  of 
our  race,  placed  by  Providence  in  our  hands  in  the  con 
dition  of  perpetual  wardship,  and  whom  we  are  bound, 
by  the  strongest  moral  obligation,  to  care  for  and  pro 
tect. 


186  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE   OF 

To  J.  F.  H.  Claiborne. 

'"  Monmouth,  Jan.  27th,  1840. 

"  DEAE  CLAIBOENE, — It  is  now  nearly  twelve  at  night. 
After  completing  the  harassing  toils  of  the  day  (and  my 
days  now  run  far  into  the  nights)  I  have  just  read,  for 
the  second  time,  your  touching  letter.  As  self  is  ever 
first  in  the  reflections  of  the  strongest  as  well  as  the 
weakest  of  us,  I  will  commence  with  that  portion  of 
yours  relating  to  myself.  Your  fancy  presents  me  as 
surrounded  by  all  that  can  make  life  happy.  I  know 
you  have  the  benevolence  to  delight  in  the  scene  which 
your  fancy  has  drawn,  and  I  regret  to  dispel  the  illusion 
by  stern  realities.  I  assure  you  that  I  too  am  compelled 
to  drink  to  the  very  dregs  of  what  is  worse  than  pov 
erty,  the  care,  the  anxious,  corroding  care  arising  from 
pecuniary  embarrassment — to  toil  and  struggle  to  sus 
tain  my  credit — to  make  humiliating  appeals  to  traders 
and  purse-proud  money-lenders  for  time — to  forego  ev 
ery  recreation  and  even  physical  exercise — and  to  adopt 
the  most  rigid  economy  in  my  household.  This  I  have 
done  ever  since  my  return  from  Europe,  and  must  do 
for  some  years  to  come.  I  owe  895,000,  over  $40,000  of 
which  I  have  had  to  assume  for  others.  I  am  likewise 

indorser  for  our  unfortunate  friend for  $24,000,  and 

for  various  others  whose  circumstances  are  very  doubt 
ful,  for  over  $20,000.  All  this,  it  is  probable,  will  fall  on 
me.  I  have  160  slaves.  My  other  property  is  worth, 
perhaps,  $200,000.  The  former,  however,  are  all  that 
would  be  available  in  an  emergency,  and  they  are  my 
chief  source  of  revenue.  I  am  strongly  attached  to  them. 
They  are  faithful,  obedient,  and  affectionate.  I  would 
rather  be  reduced  to  abject  penury  than  sell  one  of  them. 
My  debt  is  nearly  all  due  now.  It  requires  the  last  dol 
lar  of  my  plantation  revenue  to  preserve  my  credit. 
Were  suits  instituted  against  me,  should  any  calamity 
happen,  nearly  all  that  we  have  might  be  swept  away. 
These  are  unpleasant  reflections.  I  have  three  house 
holds  to  provide  for  besides  my  own,  and  several  private 
charities  that  I  have  long  been  committed  to,  and  must 
not  neglect — the  wives  and  orphans  of  departed  friends. 
So  you  see  I  am  suffering  not  the  pleasures  but  the  cares 
of  splendid  poverty.  With  a  revenue  of  $45,000, 1  can  not 


JOHN   A.    QTJITMAN.  187 

build  a  green-house  for  my  wife  or  buy  a  new  piano  for 

my  daughter ;  and  when  I  meet ,  the  trader,  or , 

the  Christian  Shylock,  I  am  compelled  to  acknowledge 
the  superiority  which  the  look  oi^you  owe  me,  and  can't 
pay]  gives  them.  I  never  have  avoided  a  friend  or  an 
enemy,  but  I  confess,  when  I  see  these  men  approaching 
on  the  street,  and  the  supercilious  smirk  on  their  faces, 
and  know  that  my  pockets  are  empty,  if  I  can  conven 
iently  dodge  them  I  do.  I  am  not,  however,  subdued. 
I  resume  my  profession  with  M'Murran  in  February,  and 
even  his  characteristic  industry  shall  not  exceed  mine.  I 
will  never  quit  it  until  I  discharge  my  debts,  and,  when 
once  free,  will  never  be  a  slave  again.  If  you  were  with 
me  now,  we  would  take  a  glass  together  and  give  three 
cheers  for  the  very  dream  of  freedom.  I  have,  very 

lately,  paid  86000  for  our  poor  friend ,  who  started 

in  life  with  you — both  my  earliest  friends.  He  is  utter 
ly  broken  down,  and  his  once  high  spirit  succumbs  to 
ruined  fortunes  and  a  shattered  constitution.  Alas !  he 
will  only  find  freedom  in  the  grave.  As  for  yourself,  do 
not  despond.  If  you  have  lost  your  fortune,  you  have  a 
better  capital,  which  neither  false  friends  nor  your  own 
over-confidence  can  deprive  you  of.  Employ  it  boldly, 
and  you  may  place  your  banner  where  you  will." 

ToJ.F.IL  Claiborne. 

"  Monmouth,  Feb.  26th,  1840. 

"DEAR  CLAIBOKXE, — There  was  no  poetry,  I  assure 
you,  in  my  late  letter  to  you.  It  was  naked  fact,  and 
I  am  not  gifted  with  your  imagination  to  plant  a  flower 
in  the  arid  desert  of  pecuniary  troubles.  The  skeleton 
DEBT  stands  rigidly  in  my  path,  and  stares  me  in  the  face 
as  though  to  wither  and  terrify  me ;  but  I  return  my  de 
fiance,  and  will  struggle  boldly  for  victory.  I  am  now 
insensible  even  to  the  allurements  of  ambition,  and  would 
reject  a  crown  but  for  the  gold  and  jewels  it  might  con 
tain.  Not  that  I  am  avaricious ;  do  not  suspect  me  of 
that.  With  one  third  of  my  present  income,  and  free,  I 
should  be  happy,  and  eagerly  court  distinction  and  fame. 
I  confess  myself  anxious  for  a  popularity  founded  on 
what  you  have  happily  termed  'integrity  of  principle.' 
I  know  that ,  and ,  and ,  and  men  of  that 


188  LIFE  AOT)   COKKESPOSTDENCE   OP 

school,  though  apparently  friendly,  are  hostile  to  me. 
My  principles  and  habits  are  too  republican  for  them. 

"  I  feel  the  force  of  your  quotation  from  the  Greek 
poet.  I  know  I  have  arrived  at  the  period  of  life  when 
the  effort  for  fame  should  be  made,  if  made  at  all.  It 
will  soon  be  too  late.  But  first,  I  must  disengage  my 
self  from  creditors  whose  very  looks  stir  my  blood  to 
rebellion. 

"  You  speak  of  taking  charge  of  a  newspaper.  It 
would  please  me  much  to  see  you  in  the  editorial  chair. 
Your  views  of  politics  and  of  political  economy  are,  in 
the  main,  right.  You  have  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
men  and  of  state  politics,  or  rather  intrigues,  for  Missis 
sippi  politics  have  been,  for  a  long  time,  only  a  series  of 
selfish  plots  and  counterplots  for  the  benefit  of  men ;  and 
what  inferior  men !  AVere  I  to  consult  my  personal 
wishes,  or  the  cause  of  genuine  democracy,  I  would  urge 
you  to  become  an  editor.  It  would  give  you  power  and 
distinction,  but  would  it  pay  ?  I  have  never  known  a 
poet  or  an  editor  to  get  rich.  Your  politics  and  your 
pride  cut  you  off  from  the  means  that  some  resort  to  for 
wealth ;  editorial  life,  I  fear,  would  shut  the  doors  of 
legitimate  accumulation.  But  more  of  this  when  we 
meet. 

"  I  concur  with  you  that,  after  the  re-election  of  Van 
Buren,  the  Democratic  party  will  divide  between  Cal- 
houn  and  Benton,  and  that  the  friends  of  the  former 
should  begin  to  organize.  This  consideration  almost 
tempts  me  to  say  to  you,  go  at  once  into  the  editorial 
chair.  Benton  is  electioneering  already.  Have  you  read 
his  speech  in  favor  of  striking  out  portions  of  the  19th 
and  20th  sections  of  the  Sub-treasury  Bill  ?  It  is  a  piece 
of  disgusting  charlatanry  and  demagogism.  I  do  not 
like  that  man,  yet  I  fear  he  will  succeed.  The  gigantic 
and  lofty  mind  of  Calhoun  scorns  to  descend  to  the  vul 
gar  occupation  of  dealing  out  gingerbread  and  beer  to 
the  people  for  popularity.  He  is  too  intellectual,  too 
philosophical,  and  too  pure  for  the  age  we  live  in.  His 
name  will  shine  brighter  a  century  hence.  I  hope  sin 
cerely  that  Van  Buren  may  be  re-elected.  Yet  I  beg' 
to  doubt  it.  I  have  never  seen  such  enthusiasm  as  tr!0 
opposition  now  display.  In  the  North  and  West  t'-  • 


JOHN  A.  QumiAsr.  189 

'log-cabin  and  hard-cider'  candidate  is  sweeping  all  be 
fore  him.  We  arc,  in  fact,  it  appears  to  me,  on  the 
threshold  of  a  revolution.  State  credit  has  exploded. 
The  paper  bubble  has  burst.  Ruin  and  consternation 
every  where  prevail.  We  can  not  foresee  what  direc 
tion  the  tempest  will  take,  or  where  it  will  stop,  or  what 
effects  it  will  produce.  It  may  re-establish  sound  Dem 
ocratic  principles.  It  may  result  in  the  triumph  of  mon 
ey  and  the  establishment  of  monarchy.  It  is  useless 
now  to  speculate.  The  time  for  action  will  come. 

"I  am  now  in  full  practice — forced  to  it  to  save  my 
property,  though  my  own  debts  do  not  exceed  $10,000. 
I  am  zealous  as  a  boy,  and  sanguine  of  success.  I  shall 
have  to  decline  the  nomination  for  presidential  elector ; 
I  am  too  busy  to  do  justice  to  such  an  appointment."* 

His  expectations  of  a  lucrative  practice  were  fully 
realized.  In  a,  few  years  he  relieved  himself  of  debt, 
and  again  retired  to  the  family  circle,  his  oaks,  and  his 
library,  which  he  loved  so  well.  No  man  was  happier 
in  private  life ;  his  temper  was  bland  and  amiable ;  his 
flow  of  spirits  was  equable  and  lively ;  he  was  fond  of  the 
society  of  his  friends,  and  took  part  even  in  the  pastimes 
of  children ;  he  had  a  taste  for  horticulture,  and  a  pas 
sion  for  flowers.  His  literary  habits  found  ample  scope 
in  his  well-stocked  library,  and  a  portion  of  his  time  was 
devoted  to  those  duties  that  devolve  on  every  good 
citizen.  At  this  period,  and  until  the  19th  of  May,  1847, 
he  was  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Jefferson 
College,  and  took  a  great  interest  in  the  fortunes  of  that 
venerable  institution,  maintaining  the  inviolability  of  its 
charter,  and  resisting  the  insidious  and  narrow-minded 
attempt  to  undermine  it.f  About  this  time  the  degree 

*  He  did  resign  this  position,  and  the  author  was  appointed  to  suc 
ceed  him,  but,  for  similar  reasons,  could  not  accept. 

f  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  our  noble  State  University — one 
of  its  original  trustees;  took  a  decided  part  in  giving  it  its  present 
broad  organization  and  high  caste,  and  favored  the  most  liberal  policy 
in  relation  to  it. 


190  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

of  A.B.  was  conferred  on  him  by  Princeton  College,  and 
LL.D.  by  the  College  of  La  Grange,  Tenn. 

His  brother  Albert  and  himself  had  opened  a  sugar- 
plantation  on  Grand  Carllon,  La.,  which  the  former  chief 
ly  managed.  From  their  correspondence  I  extract  a  few 
paragraphs,  showing  the  humanity  of  the  slaveholder, 
and  his  attention  to  the  comfort  of  his  negroes : 

"  Monmouth,  May  9th,  1839. 

"  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  of  poor  Kitty's  death ;  she 
was  faithful,  honest,  and  industrious.  Encourage  the  ne- 

froes  to  report  their  complaints  to  you  early.  They 
ave  a  great  aversion  to  lying-up  in  hospital,  and  to  diet 
ing,  and  often  conceal  their  complaints  until  it  is  too  late. 
The  stoutest  and  most  sensible  and  trustworthy  of  them 
must  be  watched  like  children.  They  seldom  reflect,  and 
have  bad  memories.  Clothe  them  well,  make  them  be 
clean  and  neat  in  their  persons  and  dwellings,  encourage 
them  to  have  gardens  and  fruit-trees  and  vines,  regulate 
their  little  domestic  dissensions,  and  grant  them  every 
indulgence  consistent  with  discipline.  Harshness  makes 
the  negro  stubborn ;  praise,  and  even  flattery,  and,  more 
than  all,  kindness,  make  them  pliable  and  obedient.  Keep 
them  cheerful.  I  love  to  hear  a  gang  of  hands  singing 
at  their  work,  whistling  on  their  way  home,  and  fiddling 
and  dancing  at  night.  This  manifests  a  contented  heart." 

To  his  Brother. 

"  November  22d,  1839. 

"  I  was  very  sorry  to  hear  of  our  bad  luck  in  the  loss 
of  so  many  negroes.  This  is  indeed  serious ;  but  we 
should  not  sit  down  and  lament  what  we  can  not  prevent. 
Take  misfortune  coolly.  In  the  business  of  life,  reverses 
will  come.  We  must  oppose  them  with  patience,  pru 
dence,  and  courage,  and  struggle  on.  The  tide  will 
change ;  and,  if  we  still  continue  unfortunate,  we  may 
console  ourselves  with  the  reflection  that  we  have  de 
served  a  better  fate,  and  that  better  men  than  we  are 
have  suffered  more,  and  suffered  without  complaining. 
Pray  attend  to  the  sick,  and  let  them  have  every  possi 
ble  comfort." 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  191 

To  his  Brother. 

"January  IGth,  1842. 

"  I  have  spent  several  long  years  past  in  constant  and 
severe  exertions,  and  harassing  and  painful  anxiety- 
enough  to  break  down  any  but  a  resolute  mind  and  vig 
orous  constitution.  I  have  been  crippled  by  every  sort 
of  pecuniary  embarrassment,  and  have  had  nothing  but 
the  bright  hope  to  cheer  and  support  me,  that  a  few 
years  more  of  toil  and  anxiety  will  rid  me  of  the  burden 
I  have  borne  so  long.  Why,  however,  should  I  afflict 
you  with  my  cares  ?  With  a  good  conscience,  a  resolute 
heart,  and  a  strong  arm,  I  hope  to  conquer  every  difficul 
ty.  It  would  be  better  for  my  interests,  all  things  con 
sidered,  to  sell  negroes  to  pay  my  debts.  Cotton  is  now 
too  low  to  be  profitable,  and  I  am  paying  10  per  cent, 
and  upward  for  money — much  more  than  the  labor  of 
my  negroes  brings  me  in.  But  I  can  not  bear  to  part 
with  those  who  are  so  faithful  and  so  attached  to  me ; 
they  are  of  my  household,  and  I  never  will  barter  them 
away.  So  I  must  endure  the  toil  and  anxiety,  and  the 
impertinent  smirk  of  money-dealers,  and  the  ostentatious 
pretension  of  the  rich  parvenu,  a  few  years  longer.  If 
there  be  any  set  that  I  heartily  despise,  it  is  those 
who  plume  themselves  upon  their  riches,  and  regard  a 
man  who  happens  to  get  in  debt  as  a  criminal.  Their 
supercilious  sneer  is  offensive,  and  their  patronizing  pity 
is  little  less  so.  Every  day  I  see  two  or  three  whose 
noses  I  am  tempted  to  wring.  I  confess  to  you  that 
wealth  for  me  has  no  attractions.  I  love  neither  its 
pomp,  its  luxury,  nor  its  responsibilities.  Give  me  inde 
pendence  and  tranquillity,  and  I  ask  no  more. 

' '  '  Scck'st  thou  for  happiness  ? 
Go,  stranger,  sojourn  in  the  woodland  cot 
Of  innocence,  and  thou  shall  find  it  there ! 

Ah  !  that  thus  my  lot 
Might  be  with  peace  and  solitude  assigned, 
Where  I  might,  in  some  little  quiet  spot, 
Sigh  for  the  crimes  and  miseries  of  mankind.'" 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  an  early  friend, 
who  was  in  difficulties  at  the  time,  will  show  the  gener 
ous  features  of  his  character. 


192  LIFE   AuSD   COREESPONDENCE    OF 

"Monmouth,  October  19th. 

"  I  will  make  every  effort  to  do  what  you  desire.  You 
have  not  reminded  me  of  our  early  friendship,  but  I  shall 
ever  bear  in  grateful  remembrance  the  kindness  I  re 
ceived  from  your  family  years  ago,  and  many  proofs  of 
friendship  I  have  received  from  you.  I  am  reminded  of 
this  at  this  moment,  when  I  see  in  my  library  the  splen 
did  testimonial  presented  to  me  by  the  Legislature  at 
your  instance,  at  the  outset  of  my  and  of  your  career. 
Rely  on  me  always." 

The  Mexicans,  under  the  perfidious  Santa  Anna,  hav 
ing  again  invaded  Texas,  General  Quitman  thus  wrote  to 
a  friend  at  Galveston.  It  glows  with  the  fire  of  his  ar 
dent  and  chivalrous  nature. 

"Natchez,  March  19th,  1842. 

"  DEAR  SIK, — I  read  with  pleasure  your  letter  of  the 
llth.  I  rejoice  that  the  Mexicans  have  invaded  Texas, 
because  it  will  end  in  what  I  have  ever  believed  to  be 
the  true  policy  of  Texas,  the  invasion  of  Mexico.  You 
have  now  no  alternative.  You  must  conquer  the  in 
vaders,  or  be  exterminated.  The  Lone  Star  of  the  West 
will  be  extinguished  forever,  or  it  will  blaze  over  the  tow 
ers  of  Mexico.  I  am  too  well  acquainted  with  the  char 
acter  of  your  people  and  that  of  your  enemy  to  doubt 
the  issue,  were  the  latter  twice  as  numerous.  The  en 
thusiasm  you  describe  must  lead  you  to  victory.  All 
that  you  want  is  a  head.  Your  ablest  men  should  be  se 
lected  to  command,  and,  for  a  time,  should  be  vested 
with  dictatorial  powers.  The  Santa  Fe  expedition  fail 
ed  for  want  of  a  leader.  If  well-commanded,  our  South 
ern  militia  are  invincible.  In  personal  courage,  and  skill 
in  the  use  of  weapons,  you  have  the  very  best  material. 
In  fighting  Mexicans,  as  in  fighting  Indians,  mere  mili 
tary  tactics  are  of  no  importance.  In  such  a  warfare  I 
would  not  have  a  mere  martinet  to  command  even  a  com 
pany.  The  general  should  have  the  entire  confidence  of 
his  men  and  command  their  implicit  obedience.  If  you 
have  such  a  man,  place  him  at  once  at  the  head  of  your 
army.  Send  the  fiery  cross  throughout  the  land.  Sum 
mon  every  man  between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  forty- 


JOHN  A.  QUmiAN.  193 

five.  Muster  them  on  the  Colorado  as  quietly  and  se 
cretly  as  possible.  Encourage  the  invaders  to  advance 
by  some  show  of  timid  resistance.  When  half  the  num 
bers  shall  have  confidently  crossed  that  barrier,  suddenly 
concentrate  your  forces,  let  your  deadly  rifles  do  their 
part,  and  then  rush  to  the  attack  sword  in  hand,  firmly 
resolved  to  conquer  or  die.  No  Mexican  army  can  stand 
the  shock  of  your  charge.  Let  your  battle-cry  be  San 
Jacinto.  Your  victory  will  be  easy  and  complete.  Fol 
low  it  up  without  delay.  Carry  the  war  at  once  into  the 
heart  of  Mexico,  and,  before  the  end  of  summer,  the  ban 
ner  of  the  single  star  will  float  proudly  over  the  walls  of 
the  city  of  Montezuma.  If  you  succeed  you  will  gain 
the  admiration  of  the  world.  If  you  suffer  yourselves  to 
be  defeated  you  will  have  its  contempt,  and  need  scarce 
expect  its  sympathy. 

"  The  government  of  the  United  States  will  be  cau 
tious  in  the  matter.  The  people  of  the  South  will  cheer 
you  on  and  aid  you.  We  are  too  much  absorbed  in  our 
pecuniary  distresses  to  exhibit  much  public  enthusiasm, 
but  we  will  never  permit  an  Indian  and  negro  colony  to 
be  planted  on  the  frontier.  Come  what  will,  that  must 
not  happen." 

To  General  Sam.  Houston. 

"Natchez,  April  7th,  1842. 

UMY  DEAR  Sm, — I  have  seen  your  comments  upon 
the  extraordinary  letters  of  Santa  Anna  to  Mr.  Bee  and 
General  Hamilton.  Independently  of  the  evidence  you 
bring  forward  to  prove  that  the  dictator  had  pledged 
himself  not  to  attempt  another  invasion  of  Texas,  I  well 
recollect  a  long  conversation  which  took  place  between 
you  and  the  President  Santa  Anna,  in  which  I  also  par 
ticipated,  on  our  way  up  the  Buffalo,  at  the  time  of  the 
change  of  your  encampment  from  San  Jacinto.  By  your 
invitation  I  had  a  seat  in  the  boat  which  conveyed  you 
and  the  dictator  to  the  new  camp.  After  some  compli 
ments  upon  you  and  your  brave  men,  he  remarked  that 
he  was  now  persuaded  that  Texas,  if  reconquered  by  the 
power  of  Mexico,  could  never  be  retained ;  that  the  cost 
of  such  an  attempt  to  Mexico  would  greatly  exceed  the 
value  of  the  acquisition ;  that  it  would  be  policy  in 

VOL.  I.— I 


194  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

Mexico  to  suffer  an  independent  nation  to  grow  up  be 
tween  her  and  the  great  and  grasping  power  of  the 
United  States,  and  that,  should  his  influence  ever  prevail 
in  Mexico,  he  would  urge  the  recognition  of  the  inde 
pendence  of  Texas  ;  that  all  must  be  sensible  that  such 
was  the  true  policy  of  Mexico,  and  that  no  obstacle  could 
be  thrown  in  the  way  but  what  might  grow  out  of  na 
tional  pride. 

"  This  is  the  substance  of  his  remarks  on  that  occasion. 
If  my  certificate  should  be  of  any  service  to  you,  I  will  be 
happy  to  furnish  it  in  more  form.  I  heartily  wish  you 
success  in  your  glorious  enterprise  to  force  the  recogni 
tion  of  the  independence  of  your  country  from  Mexico  at 
the  point  of  the  bayonet." 

In  1843  the  people  of  Mississippi  were  distracted  by  a 
great  question  growing  out  of  the  bonds  issued  by  the 
state  for  the  celebrated  Union  Bank.  Old  political  issues 
were  wholly  laid  aside,  and  parties  were  classed  as  Bond- 
payers  and  Anti-bonders.  General  Quitman  took  posi 
tion  with  the  former,  though  he  by  no  means  indorsed 
the  platform  as  laid  down  by  the  lion.  C.  P.  Smith, 
chairman  of  the  Bond-paying  Committee  in  1843,  nor  did 
he  acquiesce  in  the  views  which  the  same  gentleman,  as 
chief-justice,  announced  subsequently  from  the  bench. 
This  distinguished  jurist  has  a  mind  remarkable  for  its 
acuteness  and  capacity  for  analysis ;  it  is  logical,  com 
pact,  and  severely  disciplined,  but  strictly  technical,  and, 
from  his  habitual  line  of  reading,  too  contracted  for  en 
larged  and  popular  conceptions  of  statesmanship.  His 
view  of  the  great  question  of  1843,  in  which  he  endeav 
ored  to  demonstrate  that  the  Union  Bank  bonds  had 
been  issued  in  pursuance  of  the  original  act  creating 
that  bank,  and  not  under  the  supplemental  act,  and  were 
therefore  legal,  constitutional,  and  binding  on  the  state, 
was  a  view  strictly  in  conformity  with  the  subtle  and 
plausible  structure  of  his  mind.  Quitman,  on  the  other 
hand,  more  slow  and  much  less  brilliant  than  the  chief- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  195 

justice,  seemed  to  grasp  and  comprehend,  intuitively,  as 
it  were,  the  great  principles  of  natural  justice  which  lie  at 
the  bottom  of  equity  and  jurisprudence.  Sophistry  was 
no  part  of  his  nature.  Discarding  technicalities,  he  ap 
plied  those  great  principles  to  the  question,  and  thence 
deduced  the  obligation  of  the  state  to  pay.  He  thought 
that  the  question  of  the  liability  of  the  state  for  the  re 
demption  of  those  bonds,  being  purely  judicial,  should 
not  be  submitted  to  the  popular  vote.  The  principle 
that,  when  a  government,  through  its  lawful  agents,  en 
ters  into  a  contract  with  another  government,  or  with 
an  individual  or  company,  and  a  dispute  arises  between 
them,  it  should  be  decided  not  by  tribunals  lawfully 
established,  but  by  popular  suftrage,  and  that  too  un 
der  circumstances  unfavorable  to  impartial  judgment, 
he  condemned  as  unsound  and  dangerous.  He  Avas  am 
bitious  of  popularity,  but  he  would  not  natter  the  people 
by  professing  to  believe  that,  in  their  tumultuous  meet 
ings  at  the  polls,  under  the  excitement  of  inflammatory 
harangues,  they  were  as  competent  to  construe  the  fun 
damental  law  and  conflicting  statutes  as  judges  who  had 
devoted  many  years  to  the  study  of  such  matters.  He 
saw  no  equity  in  the  proposition  that  the  debtor  should 
assume  to  be  the  final  and  authoritative  arbiter  as  to  the 
fact  and  the  sum  of  his  indebtedness. 

The  Anti-bonders  resisted  payment  of  the  bonds, 
chiefly  on  the  plea  of  non  est  factum — that  the  instru 
ments  purporting  to  be  the  bonds  of  the  State  of  Missis 
sippi,  although  signed  by  the  governor,  countersigned  by 
the  treasurer,  and  bearing  on  their  face  the  broad  seal 
of  the  state,  were  not  in  fact,  and  did  not  in  law  consti 
tute  a  valid  or  binding  obligation,  because  they  had  been 
executed,  issued,  and  sold  in  fraud  of  the  Constitution, 
and  in  contempt  of  the  terms  and  conditions  on  which 
the  alleged  obligees  had  consented  to  be  bound.  They 


196  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE   OF 

planted  themselves  on  the  9th  section  of  the  7th  article 
of  the  Constitution  of  the  State,  which  declares  that 
"  No  law  shall  ever  be  passed  to  raise  a  loan  of  money 
upon  the  credit  of  the  state,  or  to  pledge  the  faith  of  the 
state  for  the  payment  or  redemption  of  any  loan  or  debt, 
unless  such  law  be  proposed  in  the  Senate  or  House  of 
Representatives,  and  be  agreed  to  by  a  majority  of  the 
members  of  each  house,  and  entered  on  their  journals, 
with  the  yeas  and  nays  taken  thereon,  and  be  referred 
to  the  next  succeeding  Legislature,  and  published  for 
three  months  previous  to  the  next  regular  election  in 
three  newspapers  of  this  state;  and  unless  a  majority  of 
each  branch  of  the  Legislature,  elected  after  such  publi 
cation,  shall  agree  to  and  pass  such  laws ;  and  in  such 
case  the  yeas  and  nays  shall  be  taken,  and  entered  on 
the  journals  of  each  house." 

They  admitted  that  the  original  act  of  the  Legislature, 
passed  February  5th,  1838,  chartering  the  Union  Bank, 
with  a  capital  of  15  J  millions  of  dollars,  and  authorizing 
the  issuing  of  state  bonds  to  net  that  amount,  had  been 
passed  in  conformity  with  the  aforesaid  9th  section  of 
the  Constitution,  and  had  the  bonds  been  issued  in  pur 
suance  of  the  Act  of  February  5th,  no  constitutional 
objection  could  have  been  urged.  But  those  bonds, 
they  contended,  instead  of  being  issued  by  authority  of 
said  act,  were  issued  by  virtue  of  an  act  of  the  Legisla 
ture,  entitled,  "An  Act  supplemental  to  an  act  to  incor 
porate  the  subscribers  to  the  Mississippi  Union  Bank," 
approved  February  15th,  1838,  ten  days  after  the  pas 
sage  and  approval  of  the  original  act. 

It  was  argued  that,  by  the  first,  or  original  act,  in  or 
der  to  facilitate  the  bank  in  obtaining  the  requisite  capi 
tal,  the  faith  of  the  state  was  pledged  for  the  sum  of  fif 
teen  and  a  half  millions,  as  security  for  the  capital  and 
interest,  evidenced  by  the  bonds  of  the  state.  The  cap- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  197 

ital  and  interest  were  to  be  paid  by  the  bank  when  due. 
In  order  to  secure  the  capital  and  interest  of  the  bonds, 
the  subscribers  for  stock  in  the  bank  were  bound  to  give 
mortgages  on  productive  property,  at  a  reduced  valua 
tion,  to  be  in  all  cases  equal  to  the  amount  of  their  indi 
vidual  stock.  When  the  stock  had  been  secured,  as  re 
quired  by  the  charter,  the  governor  was  directed  to  issue 
bonds  in  amount  equal  to  the  stock  thus  secured.  The 
bank  bonds  and  mortgages  were  required  to  be  deposit 
ed  in  the  institution,  as  a  reimbursement  of  the  capital 
and  interest  of  the  state  bonds. 

Had  these  requirements  been  complied  with,  no  diffi 
culty,  it  was  alleged,  would  have  ensued.  But  instead 
of  allowing  the  bank  to  go  into  operation  under  its  char 
ter,  which  had  received  the  sanction  demanded  by  the 
Constitution,  the  Legislature  was  induced,  upon  its  own 
responsibility,  to  improve  the  original,  and  passed  the 
" Supplemental  Act"  introducing  new  and  incompati 
ble  features — changing  the  relations  between  the  state 
and  the  bank — and  materially  modifying,  in  essential 
particulars,  some  of  the  leading  conditions  on  which 
the  people  of  the  state  had  assented  to  the  original 
act. 

By  this  famous  supplement,  instead  of  merely  loaning 
her  credit  to  the  bank,  the  state  was  made  a  stockholder 
to  the  amount  of  five  millions  of  dollars.  This,  of  course, 
would  make  her  debtor  to  the  bank  in  that  amount ;  and 
as  the  9th  section  of  the  7th  article  of  the  Constitution 
forbids  the  passage  of  any  law  pledging  the  faith  of  the 
state  for  the  payment  of  any  debts  (except  in  the  mode 
therein  specified),  this  Supplemental  Act,  which  required 
the  governor  to  subscribe  for  five  millions  of  the  capital 
stock  of  the  Union  Bank,  and  execute  bonds  therefor, 
should  have  been  submitted  to  the  people  for  approval 
according  to  the  formalities  of  the  Constitution.  Had 


198  LIFE   AXD    COEEESPOXDENCE    OF 

this  "supplement"  received  the  same  sanction  as  the 
original  act,  there  would  have  been  no  controversy  as  to 
the  validity  of  the  bonds.  But  undertaking,  as  it  un 
questionably  did,  to  dispense  with  the  vital  conditions 
on  which  the  people  had  agreed,  in  the  original  act,  to 
loan  their  credit  to  the  bank,  causing  the  bonds  of  the 
state  to  be  issued  before  the  mortgage  security  (solemn 
ly  stipulated  in  the  original  act)  was  provided  to  indem 
nify  the  state  against  loss,  in  the  contingency  of  the  fail 
ure  of  the  bank,  making  the  state  a  debtor  to  the  bank, 
as  principal,  without  security,  when  the  people  had  only 
consented  that  she  should  stand  in  the  relation  of  iii- 
clorser,  with  ample  security  against  loss,  based  upon  pro 
ductive  real  and  personal  estate,  mortgaged  at  a  reduced 
valuation.  The  "  Supplemental  Act"  was  therefore  re 
jected  and  denounced  by  a  large  portion  of  the  press 
and  the  people  as  no  law,  and,  as  a  consequence,  the 
bonds  issued  in  pursuance  of  it  were  held  not  to  be  bind 
ing  or  obligatory  upon  the  state. 

I  The  "  Supplemental  Act"  was  the  result  of  pressure 
{.  upon  the  Legislature.  No  peculiar  party  or  individual 
is  responsible  for  it.  It  was  the  era  of  speculation.  Le 
gitimate  trade  had  been  swallowed  up  by  the  passion  for 
gambling  and  adventure.  Men  every  where  bought  and 
sold  without  having  any  real  capital,  upon  fictitious  se 
curities,  and  the  rage  for  banking  perceived  no  obstacle 
in  the  9th  section  of  the  Constitution,  which  had  been  de 
vised  by  QUITMAX  eleven  years  before,  to  prevent  the 
very  evils  that  were  now  about  to  occur.  Men  hitherto 
prudent  had  become  reckless.  The  public  conscience  had 
grown  unscrupulous.  Barefaced  swindling  was  consid 
ered  clever  financiering,  and  the  most  desperate  became 
the  most  influential.  Society  in  private  life,  and  in  every 
department  of  government,  lost  sight  of  the  old  land 
marks  of  right  and  wrong,  and  rapidly  deteriorated, 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  199 

and,  in  the  general  corruption  that  infected  all  parties, 
the  Supplemental  Act  had  its  origin. 

Many  of  the  so-called  bond-payers,  with  General  Quit- 
man  at  their  head,  concurred  in  the  arguments  against 
the  validity  of  the  bonds.  As  a  strictly  legal  proposition, 
they  held  it  to  be  incontrovertible  that  the  Supplemental 
Act  violated  both  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  Constitu 
tion,  that  the  Legislature  had  transcended  their  power 
of  attorney,  which  is  the  Constitution,  and,  according  to 
technical  rules  of  law,  their  principals,  the  people,  were 
not  bound  by  their  acts. 

But,  while  these  were  his  sentiments  on  the  abstract 
question,  he  did  not  acquiesce  in  the  propriety  of  refer 
ring  the  decision  of  the  question  to  the  people,  a  party 
interested,  and,  from  the  nature  of  things,  not  capable  in 
this  instance  of  rendering  an  impartial  or  enlightened 
judgment.  Admitting  the  force  of  llie  maxim  caveat 
emptor,  it  was  known  that  most  of  the  bonds  had  passed, 
for  a  valuable  consideration,  into  the  hands  of  innocent 
third  parties,  whose  inducement  to  purchase  had  been 
their  confidence  in  the  resources  and  good  faith  of  the 
State  of  Mississippi,  and  her  failure  to  redeem  them 
would  ruin  many,  and  give  a  fatal  blow  to  her  credit 
and  character.  Quitman  therefore  held  that  the  bond 
holders  should  be  invited  to  come  with  their  claims,  as 
other  litigants,  and  have  a  full  and  fair  adjudication  of 
them  before  the  tribunals  of  the  state.  He  believed 
that,  although  the  strict  letter  of  the  law  would  be  found 
adverse  to  their  claim,  and  be  so  determined,  neverthe 
less,  that  the  investigation  of  all  the  facts  by  a  high  and 
important  tribunal  would  determine  the  people  of  the 
state,  upon  those  generous  principles  of  equity  that 
influence  civilized  communities,  to  provide  a  suitable 
indemnity  for  the  holders  of  the  bonds.  He  insisted 
that  the  community  knew  or  believed  the  Supplemental 


200  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

Act,  when  it  was  proposed,  to  be  of  doubtful  validity. 
Its  objectionable  features  were  pointed  out  at  the  time 
by  a  few  clear-sighted  individuals ;  a  few  members  of  the 
Legislature  protested  against  it ;  a  portion  of  the  public 
press  exhorted  and  warned  the  governor  not  to  put  the 
seal  of  the  state  to  the  five  millions  of  bonds  called  for 
by  that  act.  But  the  governor,  the  Legislature,  and  the 
people  were  captivated  and  demented  by  the  splendid 
vision  of  a  colossal  corporation  which  was  to  realize  the 
fable  of  Midas,  and  convert  every  thing  it  touched  into 
gold.  If  the  monster  bank,  yearned  after  by  so  many 
for  relief  against  impending  bankruptcy,  and  for  the 
means  of  farther  speculation,  should  have  to  await  the 
tardy  progress  of  the  prescribed  preliminaries  enumer 
ated  in  the  original  act,  the  governor,  Legislature,  and 
their  sovereigns  would  be  ruined  by  delay,  for  all  were 
alike  deep  in  debt  and  speculation.  Circumstances  would 
not  wait.  There  was  no  time  for  discussion.  Constitu 
tional  questions  must  be  waived  for  the  present  and  set 
tled  afterward.  The  day  of  judgment  was  at  hand,  and 
nothing  but  the  bank  could  save  them,  and  nothing  but 
the  state  credit  and  the  five  millions  of  state  bonds 
could  put  the  bank  in  operation.  Such  was  the  pressure 
— such  the  common  delirium — the  "madness  of  the 
hour."  Birds  of  prey,  from  all  quarters  of  the  country, 
allured  by  the  scent  of  carrion ;  rapacious  creditors,  with 
appetites  whetted  by  frequent  disappointment;  ambi 
tious  politicians,  who  looked  to  the  bank  as  a  means  of 
controlling  public  sentiment  and  of  furthering  their  per 
sonal  designs ;  and  gambling  speculators,  who  thirst 
ed  for  millions,  but  would  have  sold  their  Savior  for 
less  than  thirty  pieces  of  silver — all  flocked  to  the  seat 
of  government.  The  giddy  and  unreflecting  populace 
united  with  them, and  the  howl  was  absolutely  terrific. 
Those  were  the  days  of  summary  justice — if  that  sacred 


JOHN   A.  QUmiAN.  201 

name  may  be  so  profaned — the  day  of  drum-head  court- 
martials,  cross-road  executions,  Lynch  law,  the  pistol,  and 
the  bowie-knife  !  High  public  functionaries  sanctioned 
deliberate  violations  of  the  law  and  fellowshiped  with 
criminals;  executive  officers  reeled  across  the  public 
squares  from  one  coffee-house  to  another,  and  judges 
spent  the  Sabbath  at  the  gambling-table,  and  adjourned 
court  next  day  to  finish  their  game  !  No  wonder,  then, 
that  the  "  still,  small  voice"  of  the  Constitution  was  un 
heard.  The  multitude  roared.  The  members  of  the 
Legislature  would  have  been  mobbed  if  they  had  not 
passed  the  "Supplemental  Act,"  to  hasten  the  borrowing 
operation ;  the  governor  would  have  been  mobbed  had 
he  refused  to  issue  the  bonds,  and  the  commissioners 
appointed  to  dispose  of  them  would  hardly  have  escaped 
if  they  had  not  hurried  away  to  find  a  market  and  a  pur 
chaser. 

The  commissioners  soon  disposed  of  them  to  a  party 
deeply  infected  with  the  gambling  infirmity  of  the  peri 
od,  who  was  fully  apprised  of  the  constitutional  difficul 
ties  in  the  way  of  the  transaction,  but  who  passed  them 
over,  fraudulently,  to  third  parties  ignorant  of  this  draw 
back.  The  original  law  prohibited  any  sale  of  state 
bonds  issued  or  to  be  issued  for  the  capital  stock  or  in 
terest  of  the  Union  Bank  at  less  than  par  value ;  but,  in 
point  of  fact,  they  were  negotiated  and  sold  in  violation  of 
this  provision  of  the  law.  Nevertheless,  such  was  the 
general  exultation,  the  commissioners,  on  their  return 
with  the  means  of  putting  the  "  monster"  in  operation, 
were  received  with  bonfires,  illuminations,  public  festi 
vals,  and  other  demonstrations  of  popular  approval.  The 
proceeds  were  soon  squandered,  and  the  bank,  after  hav 
ing  stimulated  the  evil  spirit  of  gambling  to  the  utmost 
extent  of  its  means,  after  a  vain  attempt  on  the  part  of 
its  imbecile  managers  to  control  the  politics  of  the  state, 

12 


202  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

and  to  substitute  low  trickery  and  swindling  for  legiti 
mate  financiering,  closed  its  profligate  career  in  hopeless 
insolvency,  and  sunk,  like  some  huge  ship  upon  the 
ocean — 

Rari  nantes  in  gurgite  vasto — 

leaving  behind  it,  in  every  quarter,  the  evidences  of  the 
ruin  and  demoralization  it  had  wrought. 

And  now  was  heard,  for  the  first  time,  the  alarum  of 
repudiation.  The  governor,  who  had  signed  the  uncon 
stitutional  "  Supplemental  Act"  and  executed  the  bonds, 
joined  in  the  cry.*  Those  who,  from  the  first,  had  op- 

*  Correspondence  of  the  Governor  of  Mississippi  idth  Hope  fr  Co.,  of 
Amsterdam,  Holland,  in  relation  to  the  payment  of  the  interest  on  the 
Union  Bank  Bonds. 

"  To  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  Mississippi : 

"The  undersigned,  as  trustees  for  the  holders  of  debentures  of  the 
Bank  of  the  United  States  at  Philadelphia  on  deposit  of  American 
state  stocks,  and,  among  others,  of  a  considerable  amount  of  bonds  of 
the  State  of  Mississippi  bearing  five  per  cent,  interest,  issued  through 
the  Union  Bank  of  Mississippi,  and  made  payable  at  the  agency  of 
the  United  States  Bank  of  Pennsylvania  in  London,  the  principal  in 
1850  and  1858,  and  the  dividends  semi-annually  in  May  and  Novem 
ber,  having  been  refused  payment  of  the  interest  due  the  first  of  this 
month  on  said  bonds,  are  compelled  to  address  themselves  to  the  gov 
ernment  of  the  State  of  Mississippi ;  and  from  their  confidence  in  the 
faith  of  that  government,  they  feel  convinced  that  the  simple  mention 
ing  the  fact  of  the  nonpayment  will  be  a  sufficient  stimulus  for  the 
government  of  the  State  of  Mississippi  to  take  immediate  measures  for 
the  payment  of  the  interest  now  due  and  which  will  further  successive 
ly  become  due  on  those  bonds,  and  to  prevent  irregularities  or  demur 
so  prejudicial  to  the  interest  of  American  credit  in  general  and  to  that 
of  the  State  of  Mississippi  in  particular.  HOPE  &  Co. 

"  Amsterdam,  22d  May,  1841." 

u  Executive  Department,  City  of  Jackson,  July  13th,  1841. 
"GENTLEMEN, — I  have  received  your  letter,  dated  Amsterdam, 22d 
May,  1841,  postmarked  Washington  City,  June  21st,  1841,  and  bear- 
ing'the  official  frank  of  the  Hon.  Daniel  Webster,  Secretary  of  State 
of  the  United  States.  I  have  duly  considered  the  contents  thereof. 
Those  bonds  were  not  sold  in  accordance  with  the  Constitution  and 
laws  of  this  state.  They  were  delivered  by  me  as  escrorcs,  to  be  sold 
at  not  less  than  their  par  value,  and  for  cash,  as  the  statute  of  this 
state  required.  The  charter  of  the  Mississippi  Union  Bank  prescribes 
not  only  the  substance,  but  the  form  of  the  bonds,  and  provides  that 
they  shall  be  in  the  sum  of  two  thousand  dollars  each,  '  which  sum 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  203 

posed  that  act  as  illegal  and  inexpedient,  or  the  majority 
of  them,  took  the  same  view.  Thousands,  for  various 

the  said  State  of  Mississippi  promises  to  pay  in  current  money  of  the 
United  States'  to  the  order  of  the  bank,  with  interest  at  the  rate  of  five 
per  cent,  per  annum,  payable  half  yearly  at  the  place  named  in  the 
indorsement  of  the  bonds.  The  act  farther  provides  that  '  said  bonds 
shall  not  be  sold  under  their  par  value.'  The  bonds  having  been 
delivered  to  the  managers  of  the  bank  to  be  sold  on  certain  conditions, 
the  state  can  not  be  bound  for  their  redemption  unless  the  terms  pre 
scribed  were  complied  with  in  the  sale.  The  Constitution  of  this  state 
expressly  provides  that  '  no  law  shall  ever  be  passed  to  raise  a  loan 
of  money  upon  the  credit  of  the  state,  or  to  pledge  the  faith  of  the 
state  for  the  payment  or  redemption  of  any  loan  or  debt,  unless  such 
law  be  proposed  in  the  Senate  or  House  of  Representatives,  and  be 
agreed  to  by  a  majority  of  the  members  of  each  house  and  entered  on 
their  journals,  with  the  yeas  and  nays  taken  thereon,  and  be  referred 
to  the  next  succeeding  Legislature,  and  published  for  three  months 
previous  to  the  next  regular  election  in  three  newspapers  of  this  state ; 
and  unless  a  majority  of  each  branch  of  the  Legislature  so  elected, 
after  such  publication,  shall  agree  to  and  pass  such  law ;  and  in  such 
case  the  yeas  and  nays  shall  be  taken  and  entered  on  the  journals  of 
each  house;  Provided  that  nothing  in  this  section  shall  be  so  con 
strued  as  to  prevent  the  Legislature  from  negotiating  a  farther  loan 
of  one  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars,  and  vesting  the  same  in  stocks 
reserved  to  the  state  by  the  charter  of  the  Planters'  Bank  of  the  State 
of  Mississippi.' 

"Five  millions  of  state  bonds,  dated  the  5th,  Gth,  7th,  8th,  and  9th 
days  of  June,  1 838,  were  sold  by  the  commissioners  appointed  by  the 
Mississippi  Union  Bank  to  Nicholas  Biddle,  Esq.,  on  the  18th  day  of 
August,  1838,  for  'five  millions  of  dollars,  lawful  money  of  the  United 
States,  payable  in  five  equal  installments  of  one  million  of  dollars  each, 
on  the  first  day  of  November,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty- 
eight,  and  on  the  first  days  of  January,  March,  May,  and  July,  in  the 
year  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-nine,'  and  'made  pay 
able  at  the  agency  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  in  London  "in 
sterling  money  of  Great  Britain  at  the  rate  of  four  shillings  and  six 
pence  to  the  dollar,  with  interest  payable  semi-annually  at  the  same 
place  and  rate.'  No  authority  was  ever  given  by  any  act  of  the  Leg 
islature  of  this  state  to  change  the  currency  in  which  said  bonds  were 
made  payable.  By  selling  the  bonds  on  a  credit,  and  changing  them 
from  dollars  current  money  of  the  United  States  to  pounds  sterling  of 
Great  Britain,  the  following  sums  were  lost : 

Interest  on  five  millions  state  bonds  from  7th  of  June,  1838,  to  1st  of 

November,  1838 $100,000  00 

Interest  on  four  millions  two  months 33,338  38 

Interest  on  three  millions  two  months 24,999  96 

Interest  on  two  millions  two  months 1G,.GGG  Gl 

Interest  on  one  million  two  months 8,333  32 

$183,338  30 


204  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

reasons,  joined  in  the  clamor,  and  slowly  that  thunder- 
voice  rolled  across  the  Atlantic,  and  the  startled  bond- 
Difference  between  five  millions  of  dollars,  principal  of 
state  bonds,  in  current  money  of  the  United  States 
and  sterling  of  Great  Britain  at  four  shillings  and  six 
pence  to  the  dollar 478,750  00 

Difference  of  interest  on  $1,250,000  of  state  bonds  pay 
able  in  twelve  years  between  current  money  of  the 
United  States  and  pounds  sterling  of  Great  Britain 

at  four  shillings  and  sixpence  to  the  dollar 69,625  00 

Difference  of  interest  on  $3,750,000  of  state  bonds 
payable  in  twenty  years  between  current  money  of 
the  United  States  and  pounds  sterling  of  Great  Brit 
ain  at  four  shillings  and  sixpence  to  the  dollar 353,068  00 

$1,084,781   30 

"From  the  above  statement  it  will  be  perceived  that  one  hundred 
and  eighty-three  thousand  three  hundred  and  thirty-eight  dollars  and 
thirty  cents  were  lost  by  selling  the  five  million  dollars  of  bonds  on  a 
credit,  and  paying  interest  thereon  from  their  respective  dates,  and 
the  farther  sum  of  nine  hundred  and  one  thousand  three  hundred  and 
forty-three  dollars  was  lost  by  changing  the  bonds  from  dollars  cur 
rent  money  of  the  United  States  to  pounds  sterling  of  Great  Britain. 
These  two  items  amount  to  the  enormous  sum  of  one  million  eighty- 
four  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-one  dollars  and  thirty  cents. 
Surely  such  a  sale  can  not  be  binding  on  the  State  of  Mississippi. 
The  faith  of  this  state  was  pledged  for  the  payment  of  those  bonds 
only  upon  the  condition  that  they  were  sold  at  not  less  than  their  par 
value.  The  state  expected  the  full  amount  of  those  bonds  to  be  paid 
into  the  vaults  of  the  Mississippi  Union  Bank.  If  the  full  amount 
had  been  received,  and  the  currency  in  which  they  were  made  pay 
able  not  have  been  changed,  the  bank  would  have  been  better  enabled 
to  indemnify  the  state. 

"It  appears  that  the  bonds  were  indorsed  in  blank  by  the  officers 
of  the  bank  and  delivered  to  the  commissioners  charged  with  their 
sale.  Neither  their  power  of  attorney  nor  letter  of  instructions  au 
thorized  those  gentlemen  to  fill  up  said  indorsement  by  making  the 
bonds  and  coupons  payable  in  pounds  sterling  of  Great  Britain  at  the 
rate  of  four  shillings  and  sixpence  to  the  dollar.  If  such  a  change 
had  been  made  on  the  face  of  the  bonds  after  their  execution  and  de 
livery  to  the  bank,  the  parties  making  the  alteration  would  have  been 
guilty  of  forgery,  and  could  have  been  immured  in  the  Penitentiary 
for  the  offense.  It  will  be  no  answer  to  the  argument  to  allege  that 
the  indorsement  could  only  bind  the  Mississippi  Union  Bank.  That 
institution  has  undertaken  to  pay  both  the  principal  and  interest  of 
the  bonds.  If  the  bank  is  compelled  to  pay  the  one  million  eighty- 
four  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-four  dollars  and  thirty  cents 
for  the  loss  sustained  by  the  credit  sale  of  the  bonds  and  the  change 
in  the  currency  in  which  they  were  made  payable,  her  means  will  be 
reduced  that  amount,  and  the  risk  of  the  state  thus  greatly  increased. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  205 

holders  for  the  first  time  learned  the  uncertain  and  doubt 
ful  nature  of  the  obligations  in  which  they  had  intrusted 
their  means — many  of  them  their  all. 

The  state  was  willing  to  intrust  her  credit  to  the  bank  on  the  condi 
tions  prescribed  in  the  charter.  The  faith  of  this  government  has 
never  been  pledged  for  the  illegal  and  fraudulent  sale  of  those  bonds. 

"This  is  a  constitutional  government,  and  all  its  officers  take  an 
oath  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the  State,  and  faithfully  to  dis 
charge  the  duties  of  their  respective  offices.  Her  chief  magistrate  is 
required  to  take  care  that  the  laws  be  faithfully  executed.  He  would 
be  recreant  to  his  trust  and  violate  his  official  oath  were  he  to  suffer 
the  laws  of  the  land  to  be  trampled  upon  and  the  Constitution  disre 
garded. 

"  The  contract  for  the  sale  of  the  state  bonds  shows  that  the  statutes 
of  the  state  in  relation  to  the  bonds  were  made  a  part  of  the  contract. 
The  purchaser  was  well  aware  of  the  conditions  on  Avhich  they  were 
issued,  and  knew  that  the  purchase  was  neither  sanctioned  by  the 
Constitution  and  laws  of  this  state  nor  of  Pennsylvania.  The  con 
tract  was  guaranteed  by  the  Bank  of  the  United  States.  The  whole 
of  the  purchase-money  was  paid  by  that  institution.  The  name  of 
Mr.  Biddle  was  merely  used  in  the  contract  as  a  device  to  get  round 
that  clause  in  the  charter  of  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  which  pro 
hibits  her  from  dealing  in  state  stocks.  The  currency  in  which  the 
bonds  were  made  payable  was  changed  from  dollars  to  pounds  sterling 
to  give  a  false  coloring  to  the  transaction,  and  make  it  appear  that  the 
bonds  were  sold  at  par  value.  The  principle  is  universal  that  fraud 
vitiates  all  contracts.  The  commercial  law  of  this  state  relative  to 
negotiable  paper  is  different  from  that  of  most  other  countries.  The 
transfer  of  bonds  and  notes  does  not  prevent  the  drawer  from  setting 
up  any  defense  against  an  innocent  purchaser  which  could  be  made 
available  against  the  original  payee. 

"The  state  therefore  denies  all  obligation  to  pay  the  bonds  held  in 
trust  by  you  for  the  following  reasons : 

"  1st.  The  bonds  were  sold  on  a  credit. 

"2d.  The  currency  in  which  the  bonds  were  made  payable  was 
changed  from  current  money  of  the  United  States  to  pounds  sterling 
of  Great  Britain  at  the  rate  of  four  shillings  and  sixpence  to  the  dollar. 

"3d.  The  contract  of  sale  was  fraudulent. 

"4th.  The  Bank  of  the  United  States  was  not  authorized  to  make 
the  purchase. 

"  5th.  The  bonds  were  sold  at  less  than  their  par  value,  in  violation 
Of  the  charter  of  the  bank. 

"The  money  paid  for  those  bonds  did  not  come  into  the  state  treas 
ury.  The  officers  of  this  government  had  no  control  over  its  disburse 
ment.  The  bonds  were  disposed  of  in  August,  1838,  by  collusion  and 
fraud,  in  violation  of  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  this  state.  The 
Mississippi  Union  Bank  and  the  Bank  of  the  United  States  were  par 
ties  to  this  unlawful  transaction.  You  have  the  indorsement  of  both 
of  these  institutions,  and  to  them  you  must  look  for  payment.  This 


206  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

An  influential  portion  of  our  citizens,  of  both  the  old 
political  parties,  believed  that  the  bonds  had  been  legally 
issued,  and  they  insisted  upon  a  tax  being  levied  by  the 
Legislature  to  redeem  them.  And  this  party,  General 
Quitman  among  them,  contended  that,  legally,  the  state 
was  not  liable,  but  that  the  moral  obligation  to  pay  was 
equally  binding  on  a  just  and  high-toned  people  of  vast 
resources  and  expanding  energies.  This  obligation,  they 
maintained,  was  created  by  the  almost  universal  recogni 
tion  by  the  people  of  the  acts  of  their  agents — the  nego 
tiation  of  the  bonds — accepting  and  using  the  proceeds 
within  the  state,  and  only  complaining  of  unconstitution- 
ality  after  the  money  had  been  received  and  squandered. 
Applying  to  it  the  principles  of  honor  and  equity,  which 
should  govern  in  private  transactions,  they  contended 

state  never  will  pay  the  five  millions  of  dollars  of  state  bonds  issued  in 
June,  1838,  or  any  portion  of  the  interest  due,  or  to  become  due  thereon. 

"When  I  ascertained  in  January,  1839,  the  terms  on  which  the 
bonds  had  been  sold,  I  communicated  the  same  by  message  to  the 
Legislature,  and  denounced  the  sale  as  illegal.  At  that  time  only 
two  millions  of  dollars  had  been  paid  on  the  bonds  by  the  Bank  of  the 
United  States.  By  a  proclamation  I  subsequently  issued,  the  sale  of 
the  second  five  millions  of  dollars  of  state  bonds  delivered  to  the  Mis 
sissippi  Union  Bank  was  prevented.  I  absolutely  refused  to  execute 
the  last  five  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars  of  state  bonds  demanded  by 
that  institution.  These  decisive  measures  prevented  the  illegal  dis 
posal  of  ten  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars  of  state  bonds,  and  will  con 
vince  you  that  the  government  of  this  state  never  has  countenanced, 
and  can  not  be  made  responsible  for  the  fraudulent  acts  of  the  Missis 
sippi  Union  Bank. 

"I  have  forwarded  to  your  address  the  Journals  of  the  Legislature 
of  this  state  for  the  years  1840  and  1841.  It  will  afford  me  much 
pleasure  to  forward  you  such  other  documents  as  you  may  desire. 
I  am  anxious  that  the  bond-holders  should  be  possessed  of  all  the  facts 
in  relation  to  the  issuance  and  disposal  of  the  bonds  held  by  them. 
Your  great  experience  in  commercial  affairs  no  doubt  has  made  you 
familiar  with  the  principle  that  parties  contract  with  reference  to  the 
law,  and  that  in  a  constitutional  and  free  government  every  act  of  a 
public  functionary  is  merely  an  exercise  of  delegated  power  intrusted 
to  him  by  the  people  for  a  specific  purpose,  and  that  his  acts  are  the 
acts  of  the  people  only  while  within  the  powers  conferred  upon  him. 

"I  am,  gentlemen,  very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"A.  G.  M'Nuxx. 

"Massif.  Hope  &  Co.,  Amsterdam,  Holland." 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  207 

that,  if  an  individual  should  authorize  an  agent  to  go  into 
the  market  and  borrow  money  for  him  on  certain  condi 
tions,  and  that  agent  should  return  and  tell  his  principal 
that  he  had  got  the  money,  but  not  on  the  conditions 
specified,  it  being  optional  with  him  to  receive  the  mon 
ey  or  not,  if  the  principal  receive  it,  he  thereby  waives 
the  change  of  conditions,  and  ratifies  and  confirms  the 
act  of  his  agent,  and  can  not  afterward  honestly  plead  a 
violation  of  conditions.  So  Quitman  argued  that,  after 
the  state  had  accepted  and  used  the  proceeds  of  the 
bonds,  no  matter  how  illegally  they  had  been  issued,  no 
matter  how  hnprovidently  they  had  been  negotiated,  no 
matter  how  recklessly  the  money  had  been  squandered, 
she  was  morally  bound  to  redeem  them. 

Upon  these  conflicting  issues  a  furious  contest  ensued, 
which  called  forth  a  vast  amount  of  talent  and  energy. 
It  resulted  in  the  triumph  of  the  anti-bonders,  who,  dur 
ing  the  contest,  besides  the  argument  already  referred 
to,  took  the  high  ground  that,  in  resisting  the  payment 
of  the  bonds,  they  were  defending  the  Constitution  ;  and 
that,  though  they  sympathized  with  the  innocent  and  un 
fortunate  parties  now  holding  said  bonds,  no  sympathy 
and  no  misfortune  would  authorize  a  deliberate  sanction 
to  an  unconstitutional  act/1' 

*  The  celebrated  Gouverneur  Morris,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  old 
Federal  party,  and  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  of  his  times, 
expressed  the  following  opinions  applicable  to  this  question:  "The 
debt,  you  say,  is  contracted  according  to  the  forms  of  the  Constitution. 
This  I  doubt ;  but  let  it  be  admitted  that  public  faith  is  pledged  ac 
cording  to  the  constitutional  forms :  suppose  a  majority  of  the  House 
should  contract  a  debt  of  30  or  300,000,000,  and  divide  the  stock 
among  themselves,  would  their  successors  be  bound  to  provide  for  the 
payment  ?  This,  you  will  say,  is  an  extreme  case,  but  I  must  have  a 
plain  answer,  yea  or  nay.  If  it  be  yea,  I  shall  insist  that  forms  so 
absurd  be  instantly  abolished.  If  nay,  the  inference  is  that,  cases  may 
exist  in  which  the  pledge  given  according  to  constitutional  forms  is  not 
to  be  redeemed.  *  *  You  insist  that  we  are  bound  to  pay  pub 

lic  debts  by  the  same  moral  principle  which  binds  us  to  pay  our  private 
debts.  Agreed.  But  we  are  bound  to  pay  only  just  debts  5  or,  to  speak 


208  LIFE   AND   COKKESPONDENCE   OF 

Had  the  bond-payers  generally  exhibited  the  modera 
tion  of  Quitman,  and  taken  the  middle  ground  he  rec 
ommended,  the  result,  in  all  probability,  would  have  been 
different.  But  many  leading  men  on  that  side  of  the 
question,  for  ambitious  objects,  involved  it  with  nation 
al  politics,  and  provoked  by  their  violence  when  the  ob 
vious  policy  was  conciliation.  Threats  of  retaliation  on 
the  part  of  foreign  governments — of  reprisals  on  our 
commerce — of  excluding  us  from  the  comity  of  nations, 
and  even  of  seizing  our  cotton  in  transitu  and  after  it 
reached  a  foreign  market,  were  proclaimed.  They  ven 
tured  to  arraign  the  state  in  Congress  and  in  the  Brit 
ish  Parliament,  and  the  Continental  press.  This  roused 
the  pride  of  our  people.  Millions  they  might  have  been 
prevailed  upon  to  concede,  liberally  they  would  have 
given  had  the  application  been  put  in  some  other  form 
than  a  peremptory  demand  for  payment,  but  not  a  dime 
would  be  yielded  to  insult  and  menace.  It  was  on  one 
of  these  occasions,  in  a  public  meeting,  after  Quitman 
had  pronounced  a  warm  appeal  for  the  payment  of  the 
bonds,  that  the  speaker  who  followed  him  spoke  of  En 
glish  cruisers  in  the  Gulf,  and  their  right  to  seize  our  cot 
ton.  The  patriot  orator  immediately  rose,  and,  with  a 
voice  of  indignation,  and  his  whole  frame  trembling  with 
emotion,  said :  "  Sir,  in  that  event  I  join  my  countrymen 
who  oppose  the  payment  of  the  bonds.  My  sword — ay, 
sir,  the  last  drop  of  my  blood,  shall  be  spent  in  resisting 
the  demand.  My  state,  sir — may  she  be  always  right ; 
but,  right  or  wrong,  the  STATE,  sacred,  intangible,  and 
unprofaned,  forever  !"* 

more  accurately,  that  is  no  debt  which  is  not  justly  contracted.  *  *  * 
An  agent,  though  he  comply  with  legal  forms,  can  not  bind  his  principal 
to  a  matter  which  is  illegal  or  immoral ;  and  a  third  person  can  not  ground 
a  claim  on  such  transaction  if  he  was  privy  to  the  wrong." — Sparks's 
Life  of  Morris,  vol.  iii.,  p.  287. 

*  John  Marshall,  Esq.,  the  able  editor  of  the  Austin  (Texas)  State 
Gazette,  and  long  the  confidential  friend  of  Quitman,  says : 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  209 

It  was  this  high-toned,  fervid  patriotism,  this  intense 
love  of  country,  this  sensitiveness  to  any  attack  npon  it 

"It  is  true,  General  Quitman  was  among  those  who  advocated  the 
payment  of  the  Union  Bank  bonds,  but  he  always  regarded  the  Con 
stitution  as  having  been  violated  in  their  emission.  He  was  only  will 
ing  to  pay  the  debt  in  the  event  of  the  people  waiving  their  constitu 
tional  right  to  repudiate  the  unwarrantable  acts  of  their  servants.  The 
people  sternly  and  wisely  disavowed  these  acts,  and  made  an  example 
of  unbridled  power  which  subsequent  legislators  have  never  forgotten. 
General  Quitman  afterward  held  that  the  question  had  been  finally 
decided  upon,  and  we  have  before  us,  from  his  own  pen,  the  declara 
tion  that  he  was  '  firmly  opposed,  whether  as  a  private  citizen  or  in  an 
official  capacity,  to  a  resuscitation  of  the  question.  Without  a  new  as 
sumption  by  the,  people,  he  ivould  regard  a  law  for  the  payment  of  the  re 
jected  bonds  as  a  fraud  on  their  rig/its.'  He  had  opposed  the  charter 
of  the  Union  Bank  at  the  time  of  its  incorporation,  and  had  also  op 
posed  the  issue  of  the  bonds  at  the  time  of  the  discussion  of  the  ques 
tion  as  a  matter  of  state  policy." 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  him  in  1849  is  the 
latest  that  I  find  on  the  Union  Bank  bond  question.  He  stood  upon 
this  position  in  his  first  canvass  for  governor,  his  opponent  being  the 
Hon.  Luke  Lea. 

"  Upon  all  questions  of  practical  state  policy  it  is  my  duty  to  ex 
press  my  opinion,  if  honestly  desired.  The  Union  Bank  bond  ques 
tion  is  of  that  character.  If  we  are  to  judge  from  the  proceedings 
of  the  Whig  convention,  they  will  make  the  payment  of  the  bonds 
one  of  the  issues  of  the  present  canvass.  Upon  this  subject  I  have  no 
disguise.  When,  in  t\vo  successive  elections,  the  question  of  the  valid 
ity  of  these  bonds  was  before  the  people,  I,  as  a  citizen,  advocated 
their  payment,  and  used  all  arguments  which  suggested  themselves  to 
my  mind  to  induce  others  to  concur  in  my  opinions.  While  I  sup 
posed  that,  in  the  opinion  of  the  world,  some  discredit  would  be  at 
tached  to  our  state  for  the  rejection  of  these  bonds,  I  have  never  at 
tributed  to  those  who  differed  from  me  any  but  pure  and  patriotic  mo 
tives  in  opposing  their  payment.  It  is  unnecessary  to  refer  to  the  ar 
guments  used  by  those  who  favored,  or  those  who  opposed  the  pay 
ment  of  these  bonds  as  unconstitutional  and  void.  The  issue  was 
twice  made  before  the  people  at  the  general  elections,  and,  after  a  full 
and  elaborate  discussion,  the  people  of  this  state,  by  large  majorities, 
deliberately,  and  I  think  honestly,  pronounced  against  the  constitu 
tionality  and  validity  of  the  bonds  given  for  stock  in  the  Union  Bank. 
In  this  solemn  and  deliberate  decision  upon  that  subject  I  acquiesce. 
Unless  set  aside  by  a  reassumption  of  these  bonds  by  a  vote  of  the  peo 
ple,  this  decision  is  and  must  continue  to  be  binding  upon  the  public 
authorities  of  the  state.  Under  our  Constitution,  all  questions  involv 
ing  the  appropriations  of  money  out  of  the  treasury  belong  exclusive^ 
ly  to  the  Legislature,  and,  consequently,  to  the  people,  whose  will  the 
Legislature  should  represent.  Questions,  therefore,  concerning  the 
appropriation  of  money,  whether  or  not  they  involve  validity  of  bonds 


'  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

from  any  quarter,  that  gave  him  his  strong  hold  on  the 
public  confidence,  and  enabled  him  to  pursue  the  truth, 
whether  in  a  majority  or  minority,  without  any  diminu 
tion  of  personal  popularity. 

In  1845,  a  vacancy  having  occurred  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  Gen.  Quitman  was  prominently  mentioned 
in  connection  therewith.  The  suggestion  of  his  name  in 
the  public  papers  brought  a  flood  of  letters  from  every  sec 
tion  of  the  state,  encouraging  to  his  hopes.  They  were 
so  flattering,  and  from  such  influential  men,  that  he  fixed 
his  heart  upon  the  matter,  and,  in  private  letters  to  his 
brothers,  expressed  little  doubt  of  his  success.  A  strong 
ly  written  and  very  plausible  communication  appeared  in 
the  Vicksburg  Sentinel,  over  the  signature  of  "  Hume," 
charging  him  with  many  political  errors,  and  impeaching 
his  claim  to  be  considered  a  Democrat.  It  bore  the  ear 
marks  of  A.  G.  M'lSTutt,  late  governor  of  the  state,  and 
then  a  candidate  for  the  vacant  seat  in  the  Senate.  He 
was  a  man  of  vigorous  intellect — an  original  thinker — 
satirical  and  sardonic,  with  a  memory  of  astonishing  te 
nacity — one  of  those  provoking  memories  whose  exacti 
tude  is  so  often  inconvenient  to  aspiring  politicians.  His 

or  contracts  under  which  such  payment  is  claimed,  belong  not  to  the 
executive  or  the  judicial  power,  but  to  the  people,  through  their  rep 
resentatives  in  the  Legislature.  In  my  opinion,  therefore,  this  import 
ant  question  of  the  validity  of  the  Union  Bank  bonds,  and  their  pay 
ment,  has  been  deliberately  and  authoritatively  settled  by  the  tribunal 
that  possesses  supreme  power  over  this  and  similar  subjects.  It  can 
not  be  disturbed  except  by  a  proposition  laid  before  the  people  to  as 
sume  this  debt.  It  would  be  a  political  fraud  upon  their  rights  for 
any  department  of  the  government,  without  such  assumption — or  re- 
assumption,  if  the  term  be  preferred — to  apply  moneys  or  effects  of 
the  state  directly  or  indirectly  to  the  payment  of  these  rejected  bonds. 
Any  other  view  of  the  subject,  whether  by  bond-payer  or  anti-bonder, 
would,  in  my  opinion,  be  opposed  to  the  principles  of  our  government. 
Admitting  not  only  the  constitutional  right  of  the  people  of  this  state 
to  determine  for  themselves  the  validity  or  nullity  of  these  bonds,  but 
also  convinced  that  their  decision  has  been  deliberately  made,  and  in 
good  faith,  to  protect  their  Constitution  from  infraction  even  by  the 
Legislature,  I  am  opposed  to  the  resuscitation  of  the  question." 


JOHN   A.  QTJITMAN.  211 

own  career  had  been  marked  by  inconsistencies,  growing, 
perhaps,  out  of  the  fact  that  he  entered  public  life  in  the 
service  of  a  constituency  strongly  Whig,  and  when  bank 
ing  corporations  had  not,  by  their  abuses  and  enormities, 
provoked  public  scrutiny.  As  chief  magistrate,  he  had 
committed  grave  errors  in  regard  to  the  Union  Bank 
which  were  never  satisfactorily  vindicated.  But  he  now 
stood  the  acknowledged  head  of  the  opposition  to  banks, 
and  the  radical  feeling  of  the  state  was  embodied  in  and 
directed  by  him.  He  was,  on  this  point,  inflexible  and 
uncompromising,  and  was  surrounded  by  devoted  fol 
lowers,  but  had  made  bitter  enemies  by  the  harshness 
of  his  manners  and  the  vituperative  style  of  his  oratory. 
The  Whigs  detested  him,  but  his  most  violent  opponents 
were  inside  of  the  Democratic  organization.  He  was  the 
most  formidable  candidate  for  the  Senate,  and  while  act 
ively  canvassing,  the  article  in  question,  intended  to  drive 
Quitman  from  the  arena,  appeared  in  a  journal  well  un 
derstood  to  be  the  organ  of  M'Nutt. 

The  following  reply,  which -seems  to  have  been  ad 
dressed  as  a  sort  of  circular  to  his  political  friends,  was 
found  among  the  papers  of  Quitman,  in  his  hand-writing. 
It  covers  his  whole  political  course,  and  gives  his  own 
reasons : 

"I  came  to  Mississippi  at  the  age  of  twenty-one.  De 
voted  to  my  profession,  and  in  straitened  circumstances, 
I  had  given  little  attention  to  national  politics.  My  pre 
dilections,  however,  were  for  William  H.  Crawford,  of 
Georgia,  for  President,  against  either  Adams,  Jackson, 
or,  Calhoun.  I  early  imbibed,  from  the  writings  and 
speeches  of  Virginia  statesmen,  the  state-rights  and  free- 
trade  doctrines,  and  have  adhered  to  them  ever  since. 
I  made  no  opposition  to  the  election  of  John  Quincy 
Adams — the  contest  in  Mississippi  being  between  him 
and  Jackson — when  he  was  first  a  candidate,  because  ho 
had  been  acting  against  the  Federalists  since  1803,  and 
his  orthodoxy  was  not  impeached  until  his  first  message 


212  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OP 

in  1825.  In  1828,  while  absent  from  Natchez,  my  name 
was  placed,  without  my  authority,  on  a  committee  of  his 
friends,  but  on  my  return  I  refused  to  act  on  it.  In 
1827,  during  Mr.  Adams's  administration,  I  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  chiefly  by  the  Jackson  men  of  Natchez 
and  Adams  County.  Adam  L.  Bingaman,  the  leader  of 
the  Adams  party,  was  my  opponent.  Duncan  S.  Walker, 
a  Jackson  man,  succeeded  me,  and  John  F.  H.  Claiborne, 
a  very  ultra  Jackson  man,  succeeded  him,  and  was  elect 
ed  three  times  successively,  by  decided  majorities,  over 
Bingaman  and  other  Whigs.  So  my  election  from  the 
county  of  Adams  is  no  proof  that  I  was  for  John 
Quincy  Adams. 

"In  September,  1828, 1  was  appointed  chancellor  by  a 
Democratic  governor,  and  unanimously  confirmed  by  a 
Democratic  Legislature.  I  was  no  advocate  of  the  United 
States  Bank,  nor  did  I  exert  any  influence  to  bring  a 
branch  of  it  to  Natchez.  With  other  Democrats  I  acted 
for  a  time  as  a  director,  and  as  a  director  of  the  Planters' 
Bank,  in  which  the  state  had  a  large  interest,  and  which 
General  Jackson  had  selected  to  hold  the  government 
deposits.  In  both  instances,  as  my  friends  well  know,  I 
Avas  induced  to  serve  to  protect  the  planters  from  the  too 
great  influence  of  the  commission  merchants. 

In  1832  I  was  a  member  of  the  Convention.  I  refer  to 
the  record  for  my  course.  I  was  the  author  of  the  sec 
tion  restraining  the  use  and  abuse  of  the  public  faith  and 
credit.  This  clause  has  preserved  the  state  from  hope 
less  insolvency.  Without  it,  such  was  the  mania  for 
borrowing  and  banking,  there  would  have  been  no  limits 
to  its  misuse.  Had  Governor  M'Nutt  adhered  to  the 
spirit  of  this  clause  of  the  Constitution,  and  refused  to 
sign  the  Supplemental  Act  and  the  bonds  for  the  Union 
Bank,  the  distracting  questions  which  have  since  been 
made  would  never  have  disturbed  the  state.  The  peo 
ple  of  this  Democratic  state,  after  the  convention,  elected 
me  chancellor  without  opposition.  In  1832  I  voted  for 
Jackson  and  Barbour,  because  I  did  not  consider  Mr. 
Van  Burcn  sound  on  the  tariff  question.  I  did  not  "be 
come"  a  Nullifier  in  1832.  I  was  always  a  Jeflersonian 
state-rights  man.  I  admired  the  character  of  General 
Jackson  and  his  message  of  1832,  but  I  opposed  and  de- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  213 

nounced  his  proclamation,  and  do  it  now.     In  politics  I 


which  certain  mousing  politicians  condemned,  but  they 
were  complimented  by  such  men  as  Calhoun,  Rowan,  and 
Hayne.  In  1834  I  was  elected  senator  from  Adams 
County,  where  a  Whig  majority  existed,  but  they  knew 
my  opinions,  and  I  was  known  to  be  President  of  the 
State  Rights  Association.  It  is  true  that,  at  the  ad 
journed  session  of  the  Legislature  of  1835,  with  General 
P.  Briscoe  and  other  stanch  Democrats,  I  opposed,  on 
strictly  constitutional  grounds,  the  admission  of  some 
members  from  new  counties,  which  had  been  created 
by  the  same  Legislature.  We  thought  their  admission 
would  violate  the  constitutional  provision  as  to  appor 
tionment  and  that  regulating  the  proportion  between 
the  two  branches  of  the  Legislature.  The  inference  at 
tempted  to  be  drawn  that  I  acted  in  a  spirit  of  hostility 
to  that  section  of  the  state  is  false.  As  far  back  as  1827 
I  advocated  the  extension  of  civil  process  over  the  Indian 
territory  with  a  view  to  its  acquisition.  In  1834,  when 
acting  governor,  I  took,  for  the  first  time  it  had  been 
broached  here,  strong  grounds  in  favor  of  the  claim  on 
the  federal  government  for  the  school  lands  and  the  five 
per  cent,  fund  in  the  Chickasaw  cession,  as  my  message 
will  show.  It  is  false  that  in  1834  I  strenuously  urged 
an  increase  of  banking  capital.  Considering  the  mania 
that  raged,  my  message  should  be  construed  as  intended 
to  restrain  its  extension.  In  1836  I  was  re-elected  Pres 
ident  of  the  Senate,  Governor  M'Nutt  voting  for  me  on 
every  ballot.  I  was  opposed  to  the  Union  Bank. 

"  In  1836  I  voted  for  Judge  White,  whom  I  believed 
to  be  as  good  a  Democrat  as  Van  Buren,  and  sounder  on 
the  tariff  question.  I  ran  for  Congress  on  the  White 
ticket.  I  believe  the  Whigs,  to  some  extent,  voted  for 
him  and  for  me ;  but  this  did  not  make  Judge  White 
and  myself  Whigs.  It  is  not  true  that  in  1837  I  was  in 
league  with  Prentiss  in  opposing  the  right  of  the  Chick 
asaw  members  to  places  in  the  Legislature.  I  was  not 
in  the  Legislature,  but  I  condemned  the  opposition.  I 
voted  for  Claiborne  and  Wilkins  for  Congress,  the  first 


214  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

being  one  of  the  Van  Buren  and  the  other  one  of  the 
White  candidates  for  Congress.  I  supported  Claiborne 
and  Gholson's  vote  for  the  Independent  Treasury.  I 
had  been  one  of  its  earliest  advocates.*  I  sustained  Pren- 
tiss  and  Word  in  the  contested  election  on  state-rights 
ground  alone.  In  1840  I  was  compelled  by  the  pressure 
of  my  private  affairs,  which  had  become  embarrassed,  to 
decline  the  appointment  of  Van  Buren  elector,  but,  by 
letters  every  where  to  my  state-rights  friends,  I  urged  his 
election. 

"  It  is  not  true  that  I  denounced  Gov.  M'JSTutt's  proc 
lamation  in  regard  to  the  Union  Bank  bonds,  so  far  as 
it  was  intended  to  arrest  the  farther  negotiation  of  these 
bonds.  I  denounced  his  act  in  signing  the  unconstitu 
tional  Supplemental  Act  of  1835,  and  fixing  his  signature 
to  ten  millions  of  bonds.  I  did  not  in  1841  vote  for 
Shattuck,  the  Whig  candidate  for  governor.  Afterward 
I  used  every  effort  to  produce  harmony  between  the 
bond-payers  and  anti-bonders,  but  failing  in  this,  at  the 
next  election  for  governor  I  voted  for  the  bond-paying 
candidate,  that  excellent  Democrat,  Thomas  II.  Williams. 
I  had,  at  the  same  time,  most  friendly  relations  with,  and 
kindest  feelings  for,  the  anti-bond  candidate,  Hon.  A.  G. 
Brown.  I  did  not  vote  for  the  Whig  state  officers.  In 
1844  I  preferred,  as  I  had  before  and  do  now,  Mr.  Cal- 
houn  to  any  other  man  for  the  presidency,  but  I  acqui 
esced  in  the  nomination  of  Van  Buren,  and,  until  the  ap 
pearance  of  his  anti-Texas  letter,  gave  him  my  zealous 
support. 

"  My  connection  with  the  Mississippi  Railroad  Com 
pany  is  made  a  charge  against  me.  When  this  great 
enterprise  was  set  on  foot,  I  was  earnestly  requested  to 
take  charge  of  it.  I  consented  at  a  heavy  sacrifice  to  do 
so.  The  Legislature  gave  it  banking  privileges,  but  dur 
ing  my  connection  with  it  not  a  single  note  was  dis- 

*  It  is  not  improbable  that  the  idea  originated  with  him.  The 
earliest  articles  I  can  recall  in  print,  hinting  at  a  total  separation  of 
bank  and  state,  are  from  the  pens  of  John  A.  Quitman  and  his  friend 
James  S.  Johnston,  Esq.,  of  Jefferson  County,  a  gentleman  of  rare 
talent  and  extensive  learning.  Bred  in  the  strictest  school  of  Vir 
ginia  strict  constructionists,  of  a  family  distinguished  for  ability,  he 
early  formed  a  close  intimacy  with  Quitman,  and  they  wrote  and  act 
ed  together. 


JOIIX    A.  QUITMAX.  215 

counted,  and  no  notes  issued  but  to  pay  for  work.  I  ad 
mit  that  I  exerted  my  influence  in  favor  of  what  is  called 
the  "Transfer  Act,"  and  the  state  has  never  lost  a  dollar 
by  that  act.  It  was  my  object,  in  drafting  the  bill,  to 
protect  the  state  from  loss  in  every  contingency,  and  so 
it  has  resulted.  The  bill  was  supported  by  many  lead 
ing  Democrats,  and  Gov.  M;Xutt  approved  it.  I  was, 
after  its  passage,  induced  to  consent  to  go  to  Europe  for 
the  purpose  of  making  sale  of  the  state  stock  in  the 
Planters'  Bank,  but,  owing  to  its  depreciation,  a  negotia 
tion  was  impossible.  This  was  no  fault  of  mine." 

This,  it  must  be  confessed,  is  a  plausible  defense  against 
the  charge,  so  often  urged  against  him,  of  political  vacil 
lation.  "  Every  man,"  says  Gouverneur  Morris,  in  a  let 
ter  to  Timothy  Pickering,  "  has  a  right,  and  is  in  duty 
bound  to  change  opinions  when  good  reason  occurs  for 
the  change,  and  every  man  has  a  right  to  pursue  a  course 
different  from  what  he  intended,  when,  in  the  lapse  of 
time  and  of  events,  the  existing  circumstances  shall  be 
different  from  what  he  anticipated." 

Among  the  charges  most  used  against  Quitman  was 
that  he  had  been  instrumental  in  the  passage  of  an  act 
transferring  certain  stocks  and  securities  of  the  state  to 
the  insolvent  corporation  with  which  he  was  associated. 
To  this  charge  he  most  triumphantly  replied,  interesting 
even  now  as  a  part  of  the  history  of  the  times,  and  as 
showing  the  fallacy  of  calculations  based  on  paper  securi 
ties,  charters,  and  corporations. 

Gen.  Quitman  to  Hon.  R.  H.  JZoone. 

'^Monmouth,  October  29th,  1845. 

"  DEAR  SIR, — Some  months  since  I  saw  a  communica 
tion  over  your  signature  in  the  Mississippian,  in  which 
you  invite  me  to  communicate  my  views  in  relation  to 
the  effects  of  an  act  commonly  called  the  *•  Transfer  Act? 
At  the  time  I  laid  the  paper  aside  with  the  intention  of 
addressing  you  on  the  subject  through  the  same  channel, 
but  frequent  indisposition  throughout  the  spring  and 


216  LIFE   AND   COKKESPONDENCE   OP 

summer,  and  the  consequent  pressure  of  important  busi 
ness,  prevented  it.  I  regret  this,  because  since  that  time 
our  relations  are  somewhat  changed.  I  am  now  a  can 
didate  for  the  Senate,  and  you  may  be  entitled  to  a  vote 
for  that  office.  I  may  appear  on  that  account  solicitous 
of  your  favorable  opinion.  However  desirous  I  may  be 
on  that  score,  I  assure  you,  in  this  communication,  I  am 
alone  influenced  by  the  desire  of  justifying  my  course  in 
the  eyes  of  a  fellow-citizen  whose  opinion  I  respect.  I 
believe  that  a  very  brief  examination  of  the  'Transfer 
Act'  will  show  that,  so  far  from  having  been  injurious 
to  the  state,  it  has  resulted  in  a  decided  advantage  to 
her.  I  frankly  admit  that  I  used  my  exertions  as  a  citi 
zen  to  procure  the  passage  of  that  bill.  I  then  believed 
the  state  might  gain  much  by  the  passage  of  the  bill,  and 
that  it  could  not  possibly  result  in  loss  to  her.  Subse 
quent  facts  have  proven  that  these  opinions  were  not  er 
roneous.  The  state  held  stock  in  the  Planters'  Bank  to 
the  amount,  estimated  at  the  par  value,  of  two  millions 
of  dollars.  In  other  words,  she  held  twenty  thousand 
shares  of  the  capital  stock  of  that  bank.  The  remainder, 
about  twenty-five  thousand  shares,  was  held  by  private 
individuals  and  corporations.  This  stock  did  not  con 
sist  in  money  which  could  at  any  time  be  withdrawn, 
but  in  mere  script  or  certificates  of  stock.  The  money 
itself,  which  had  been  invested  in  stock,  formed  the  basis 
of  the  banking  operations,  and  was  scattered  in  loans 
over  the  whole  state.  Under  the  charter  of  the  Planters' 
Bank  the  state  stood  precisely  in  the  condition  of  a  pri 
vate  stockholder.  She  had  no  lien,  no  mortgage,  no  se 
curity.  In  the  case  of  the  failure  of  the  bank  her  stock 
would  be  lost.  Should  the  bank  have  been  wound  up, 
the  assets  must  first  have  gone  to  the  payment  of  the 
debts  and  liabilities  of  the  bank  before  one  dollar  could 
have  been  paid  to  the  state.  Such  is  the  well-settled  law 
of  corporations.  In  this  condition  stood  the  state  stock 
in  1839  prior  to  the  passage  of  the  '  Transfer  Act ;'  a 
time  when  all  prudent  men  began  to  fear  the  explosion 
of  our  inflated  bank  system.  "My  arguments,  not  made 
in  secret,  but  publicly  through  the  columns  of  the  Mis- 
sissippian,  will  show  that  I  then  believed  that  our  bank 
stocks  would  depreciate  in  value,  and  probably  become 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN".  217 

valueless.  Such  was  the  state  of  things  when  it  was 
proposed  that  the  state  should  exchange  her  stock  in  the 
Planters'  Bank  for  an  equal  amount  of  stock  in  the  Mis 
sissippi  Railroad  Company,  established  to  effect  a,  scheme 
of  internal  improvement  in  which  the  people  of  a  large 
portion  of  the  state  were  interested.  The  company 
agreed,  in  consideration  of  such  transfer  of  stock,  to  give 
the  state  all  the  security  in  their  power  by  mortgaging 
all  the  private  stock  and  all  the  effects  of  the  company, 
to  protect  the  state  from  loss,  and  also  assumed  abso 
lutely  the  payment  of  the  principal  and  interest  of  the 
bonds  of  the  state  as  they  should  fall  clue,  by  guarantee 
ing  that  the  dividends  on  the  state  stock  should  meet 
these  payments.  These  terms,  so  much  more  favorable 
to  the  state  than  those  contained  in  the  charter  of  the 
Planters'  Bank,  were  ingrafted  on  the  bill,  and  in  this 
form  passed  the  Legislature.  It  was  provided  in  the  bill 
that  the  stock  transferred  by  the  state  should  not  be  sold 
below  its  par  value.  Before  the  sale  could  be  effected 
the  stock  began  to  decline.  At  length  the  Planters'  Bank 
failed,  and  the  stock  became  utterly  worthless.  The  in 
ability  of  the  railroad  company  to  dispose  of  this  stock, 
and  the  wide-spread  ruin  wThich  the  explosion  of  the 
banking  system  produced,  rendered  the  private  stock 
holders  of  the  company  unable  to  meet  the  installments 
on  their  stock,  caused  the  failure  of  the  railroad  company, 
and  consequently  her  stock  also  became  worthless.  Now 
the  question  is,  Has  the  state  gained  or  lost  by  the  'Trans 
fer  Act?'  To  ascertain  this,  let  us  consider  what  she 
would  have  had  if  the  Transfer  Act  had  not  been  enacted. 
In  that  case  the  state  would  now  be  the  holder  of  twenty 
thousand  shares  of  Planters'  Bank  stock,  at  this  time  ut 
terly  and  hopelessly  worthless.  I  venture  to  say  that  no 
sensible  man  can  now  be  found  who  would  give  one  tenth 
of  a  dollar  a  share  for  that  stock.  But  suppose  we  esti 
mate  this  stock  as  worth  one  dollar  per  share.  Then,  if 
the  Transfer  Bill  had  never  passed,  the  state  would  have 

held  stock  in  the  Planters'  Bank  worth 82,000 

But  by  that  act  she  has  gained — 

1st.  The  payment  made  by  the  railroad  com 
pany  for  interest  on  the  state  bonds,  say. .       20,000 

2d.  The  state  holds  a  mortgage  on  the  prop- 

Yc:..  I. — K 


218  LIFE   AND   COKKESPOXDENCE    OF 

erty  of  the  railroad  company,  now  in  proc 
ess  of  foreclosure,  which  the  committee  of 
the  Legislature  estimate  as  worth  more 

than 150,000 

$170,000 

Deduct  value  of  stock  transferred 2,000 

Gain  by  transfer  bill §168,000 

But,  in  addition  to  this,  I  am  advised  that  the  greater 
portion  of  the  Planters'  Bank  stock  transferred  by  the 
state  to  the  railroad  company  is  still  in  their  hands,  and 
ready  to  be  delivered  up  to  the  state.  Thus  the  state 
will  get  back  her  stock,  and,  in  addition  to  this,  nearly 
one  hundred  and  seventy  thousand  dollars.  This  shows 
that  the  Transfer  Act  was  cautiously  guarded,  and  that 
the  draftsman  of  that  honestly  intended,  under  all  con 
tingencies,  to  secure  the  state  from  loss.  We  are  all  lia 
ble  to  be  led  into  error,  but  had  not  the  Planters'  Bank 
failed  and  her  stock  depreciated,  it  could  have  been  made 
use  of  by  the  railroad  company  to  complete  their  great 
work.  Had  this  been  done,  it  is  probable  that  the  in 
come  of  the  road  would  have  enabled  the  company  to 
pay  the  interest  and  eventually  the  bonds  of  the  state. 
Experience  has  shown  that  most  of  the  railroads  in  the 
state  have  yielded  good  profits.  The  gross  income  of 
the  Yicksburg  and  Jackson  road  now  amounts  to  $300,000 
per  annum,  and  is  increasing,  while  banking  operations 
have  of  late  years  yielded  little  profit  and  promise  less. 
While  I  have  endeavored  to  show  that  the  advocates  of 
the  Transfer  Act  were  honest  in  their  intentions  to  guard 
the  rights  of  the  state,  I  am  well  aware  that  many  of 
those  who  opposed  it  were  equally  honest,  and  were  in 
fluenced  by  a  zealous  regard  for  the  interests  of  the  state, 
which  prompted  them  to  resist  what  they  deemed  a  haz 
ardous  experiment.  So  far  as  I  was  concerned,  and  I 
frankly  admit  that  I  used  my  best  exertions  to  procure 
the  passage  of  the  bill,  I  can  with  sincerity  say  that  my 
first  and  leading  desire  was  to  protect  the  state,  and  it  is 
a  source  of  great  consolation  to  me  to  believe  that  I  have 
not,  even  innocently,  been  instrumental  in  doing  any  in 
jury  to  the  public." 

Gov.  M'Nutt  opened  the  canvass  with  great  energy. 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  219 

He  always  appeared  011  the  hustings  with  a  budget  of 
old  documents  to  prove  the  delinquency  of  his  opponents. 
His  system  was  the  aggressive ;  he  never  waited  to  be 
attacked,  and  rarely  defended  himself.  Quitman  and 
Dr.  Wm.  M.  Gwin  (who  was  likewise  a  candidate)  do  not 
appear  to  have  canvassed  to  any  extent ;  but,  at  their  in 
stance,  Gen.  II.  Stuart  Foote  took  the  field,  not,  as  he  al 
leged,  as  an  aspirant,  but  "  to  expose  the  enormities  of 
M'Nutt."  Of  all  the  public  men  in  the  state,  he  was  best 
fitted  for  the  encounter.  He  knew  the  inconsistencies 
of  M'Nutt,  and  was  utterly  indifferent  to  his  own.  What 
he  lacked  in  logic  he  made  up  in  dexterity.  His  fluency 
and  fancy  were  inexhaustible.  M'N"utt  was  a  man  of 
facts  and  figures,  thoroughly  posted  in  state  history  and 
statute  law ;  Footc  had  a  limited  knowledge  of  these, 
but  a  vast  stock  of  miscellaneous  information,  and  the 
facility  of  appropriating  to  his  own  use  the  facts  supplied 
by  his  adversary.  M'Nutt  was  a  master  of  broad  humor 
and  smutty  anecdote,  which  he  freely  retailed ;  Foote  re 
volted  from  a  vulgar  epithet,  but,  as  a  harlequin,  was  ir 
resistibly  droll.  M'Nutt  told  jokes ;  Foote  recited  epi 
grams.  M'Nutt  presented  himself  to  the  people  as  a 
patriot  assailed  by  a  triumvirate  of  ambitious  aspirants 
for  favor  without  regard  to  principle;  Foote  appealed  to 
them  as  a  disinterested  guardian  of  the  public  purity,  and 
the  generous  champion  of  his  absent  friends : 

"  Absentcm  qui  rodit  amicum, 
Qui  non  defcndit,  alio  culpantc, 
Hie  niger  cst:  hunc  tu  Romano  cavcto." 

M'N"utt  was  a  formidable  man  any  where,  and  under 
any  circumstances.  He  was  said  to  be  deficient  in  per 
sonal  courage,  but  of  this  there  is  no  proof,  and  the  im 
putation  is  wholly  irreconcilable  with  the  firmness  and 
inflexible  will  he  exhibited  in  many  emergencies ;  Foote 
was  impetuous  and  fearless,  often,  through  caprice  or  for 


220  LIFE   AND   COKRESPONDENCE    OF 

imaginary  injuries,  deserting  his  friends,  but  never  turn 
ing  his  back  to  an  enemy.  Two  years  before,  in  the 
memorable  contest  for  the  Senate  between  Geo.  Poindex- 
ter  and  Robert  J.  Walker,  he  had  been  put  up  by  the 
Jackson  party  to  worry  the  former,  and  actually  teased 
him  from  the  field;  and  in  this  contest  of  1845,  though 
M'Nutt  had  little  sensibility  and  great  power  of  endur 
ance,  he  was  terribly  badgered  by  Foote. 

From  Gen.  Foote. 

"Panola,  August  9th,  1849. 

"MY  DEAK  SIE, — According  to  my  agreement  with 
you,  I  have  every  where  presented  your  claims  to  a  seat 
in  the  United  States  Senate  in  terms  of  respectful  and 
cordial  commendation,  and  defended  you  with  zeal  and 
such  energy  as  I  possessed  against  all  that  Gov.  M'Nutt 
has  either  directly  charged  or  darkly  insinuated.  Our 
mutual  friends  in  all  the  country  through  which  I  have 
yet  passed  will  bear  full  testimony  on  this  point ;  among 
whom,  Col.  Bainbridge  Howard,  who  has  attended  all  the 
meetings  in  Carroll,  Tallahatchie,  and  Yalobusha,  I  would 
mention  specially. 

"  You  requested,  when  I  saw  you  last,  that  I  should 
inform  you,  if  you  should  be  assailed  so  seriously  as  to 
render  your  personal  presence  necessary.  I  will  give 
you  facts,  and  let  you  judge  for  yourself.  In  every 
speech  M'Nutt  has  made,  he  has  alluded  to  your  course 
as  a  bond-paying  champion  in  1843.  Generally  he  has 
contented  himself  with  that.  I  have  defended  you  on 
each  occasion  as  I  best  might  on  this  point,  and  present 
ed  you  as  a  gentleman,  a  scholar,  an  old  and  approved 
public  servant,  and  a  stanch,  fearless,  and  unexceptiona 
ble  State-rights  Democrat,  of  the  true  Jeffersonian  and 
Calhoun  school.  I  carried  the  war  into  Africa  in  all 
cases.  Col.  Moore,  of  Canton,  having  given  me  a  state 
ment  in  writing  averring  his  capability  of  proving  the 
ex-governor  to  be  the  author  of  '  Plume,5  I  charged  the 
authorship  upon  him,  and  challenged  denial.  This  was 
done  first  at  Grenada,  his  organ  at  Carrolton  having  then 
republished  the  article,  evidently  at  M'Xutt's  instance. 
At  Grenada,  Mr.  Balfour  having  denied  before  the  meet- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  221 

ing,  as  M'Nutt's  friend,  the  authorship  of c  Hume,'  I  read 
Moore's  certificate,  and  announced  my  determination  to 
prove  the  authorship.  So  soon  as  Balfour  could  see 
M'Nutt,  he  came  to  me  and  withdrew  the  denial.  So 
matters  stood  up  to  the  day  before  yesterday.  At  Charles 
ton,  the  Carrolton  paper  being  in  general  circulation,  and 
being  likely  to  do  you  serious  injury,  I  denounced  it,  and 
especially  '  Hume,'  reviewing  the  article  particularly,  and 
charging  authorship  on  the  '  great  repudiate*!1'  anew.  On 
yesterday,  at  Pharsalia,  in  the  most  begging  speech  I 
ever  listened  to,  so  far  as  I  was  concerned,  he  endeavor 
ed  to  meet  the  charge  of  authorship.  He  said  his  friend 
Balfour  had  denied  it,  and  he  was  a  most  respectable 
man.  I  rose  up,  and  announced  that  Balfour  had  after 
ward  withdrawn  his  denial;  and  farther  declared  that, 
if  M'lsTutt  would  then  deny  authorship,  I  would  have  it 
proved  on  him.  This  embarrassed  him  much.  He  de 
clined  denying  it,  and  went  on  to  say  that  circumstances 
did  not  apparently  prove  him  to  be  the  author ;  that  it 
seemed  to  him  at  least  as  probable  that  his  friend,  Mr. 
Plummer,  quite  as  familiar  with  your  political  history  as 
he  was,  might  have  written  it.  He  then  proceeded  to 
defend  '  Hume,'  repeating  and  urging  strenuously  all  the 
material  charges  contained  in  that  article  against  you, 
and  devoting  some  half  an  hour  to  a  most  unfriendly  re 
view  of  your  pretensions,  warmly  remonstrating  against 
any  attempt  on  my  part  to  defend  you,  suggesting  that 
lie  and  I  stood  on  the  same  ground  politically,  as  you  did 
not,  and  that  our  friends  corresponded  more  nearly  in 
sentiment  than  yours  and  mine.  All  this  I  replied  to  as 
I  deemed  discreet  and  proper.  Among  the  new  matters 
that  he  urged  against  you,  he  accused  you  of  being  the 
instigator  of  the  charge  against  him  of  having,  while  in 
the  Legislature,  given  his  sanction  to  the  Choctaw  fraud. 
"  Having  thus,  my  dear  sir,  in  a  hurried  and  imperfect 
manner,  given  you  some  account  of  his  proceedings,  so 
far  as  you  are  affected  by  them,  need  I  add  that  it  is 
highly  important,  in  my  judgment,  that  you  should  meet 
him  face  to  face,  and  put  him  down  at  once  ?  I  am  do 
ing  all  I  can  for  your  vindication ;  but  your  not  having 
supplied  me  with  full  materials  for  your  defense,  I  am 
by  no  means  satisfied  as  to  my  own  capacity  to  effect  the 


222  LIFE   J±ND  jCORKESPONDENCE    OF 

desired  purpose.  I»  think  you  could  meet  us  by  the  time 
we  get  round  to  Columbus,  at  any  rate.  The  facts  con 
tained  in  this  letter  you  may  rely  on  and  use  as  you 
please.  I  stand  prepared  to  substantiate  all  that  is  herein 
contained." 

This  contest  terminated,  as  every  body  except  the  par 
ties  immediately  interested  foresaw,  in  the  election  of 
Gen.  Foote  himself  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States. 

Quitman  subsided,  after  this  contest,  into  private  life. 
He  was  deeply  stung  with  what  he  considered  ingrati 
tude,  and  had  good  reason  to  consider  treachery,  and  for 
a  period  he  expressed  himself  with  bitterness.  It  is  im 
possible  to  read  the  numerous  letters  addressed  to  him 
during  the  canvass,  many  of  them  prompted  by  merce 
nary  motives,  without  sharing  his  disgust.  Incapable  of 
a  dishonest  or  mean  action  himself,  he  was  entirely  too 
credulous,  and  never  suspected  the  adventurers  whose 
plausible  professions  were  almost  invariably  accompanied 
with  applications  for  money  or  indorsements.  He  had 
numerous  devoted  friends,  in  many  instances  without 
distinction  of  party,  but  his  correspondence  reveals  how 
much  he  suffered,  especially  in  this  senatorial  contest, 
from  dissimulation  and  fraud.  Men  the  most  profligate, 
and  wholly  without  merit,  contrived  to  inspire  him  with 
an  exaggerated  opinion  of  their  worth  and  influence,  and 
wormed  their  way  into  his  pockets.  One  can  not  review 
the  correspondence  he  has  left  without  being  astonished 
that  a  man  of  his  sagacity  and  experience  could  be  so 
readily  deceived,  and  by  persons,  in  the  main,  so  little  en 
titled  to  confidence.  His  ambition  was  stronger  than  he 
supposed ;  he  was  easily  flattered ;  he  was  credulous  to 
a  fault;  and  he  was  too  proud  and  too  honorable  to 
stoop  to  the  arts  of  professional  politicians.  Hence  he 
was  often  tricked  and  disappointed,  and  his  money  lav 
ished  on  unworthy  men. 


JOHN    A.   QUITMAX.  223 

The  letters  he  has  left,  illustrating  personal  character 
and  political  intrigues,  in  Mississippi  and  elsewhere,  the 
mercenary  nature  of  parties  now  extinct,  and  the  duplic 
ity  of  politicians,  many  of  whom  are  now  living  in  and 
out  of  the  state,  reduce  one's  estimate  of  human  nature, 
and  would,  of  themselves,  make  an  instructive  volume. 

The  military  movements  on  the  Rio  Grande,  and  the 
belligerent  attitude  of  Mexico,  which  had  denied  redress, 
and  shut  the  door  to  reconciliation  by  refusing  to  receive 
the  distinguished  plenipotentiary  (Mr.  Slidell)  sent  out  by 
the  United  States,  now  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
country.  It  occasioned  the  following  correspondence 
between  General  Quit-man  and  the  Governor  of  Missis 
sippi.  Quitman  had  been  elected  major  general,  Missis 
sippi  Militia,  in  1841. 

To  Governor  JJrown. 

"Monmouth,  Sept.  Gth,  1845. 

"  DEAR  Sm, — Some  months  since,  in  personal  conver 
sation,  I  expressed  to  you  my  desire  to  be  remembered, 
in  case  a  military  requisition  should  be  made  upon  this 
state.  I  now  perceive  by  the  Washington  papers  that 
it  is  the  determination  of  the  President  to  keep  in  readi 
ness  a  sufficient  military  force  to  protect  from  invasion 
our  boundary  on  the  Rio  del  ISTorte  from  every  contin 
gency.  Anticipating  that  a  requisition  may  possibly  bo 
made  upon  this  state,  in  case  the  Mexicans  should  dis 
play  any  considerable  force  upon  the  frontiers  of  Texas, 
I  take  this  opportunity  to  say  that  I  have  no  doubt  that 
any  requisition  upon  this  state  would  be  met  at  once, 
without  a  draft,  by  a  call  for  volunteers. 

"  I  feel  quite  confident  that  my  division  alone  would 
be  ready  to  furnish  any  probable  quota,  not  doubting 
that  the  other  military  divisions  of  the  state  would  dis 
play  equal  patriotism. 

"  In  case  your  excellency  should  be  called  on,  and 
should  think  fit  to  adopt  the  plan  suggested  of  inviting 
volunteers,  I  take  the  liberty  of  requesting  that  I,  as  the 
oldest  major  general  of  the  state,  may  be  charged  with 


224  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

the  duty  of  collecting,  organizing,  mustering,  and  com 
manding  when  in  service,  any  volunteers  that  may  be 
called  for.  I  respectfully  suggest  that  my  long  service 
in  the  militia,  my  rank,  and  some  little  experience,  pre 
sent  some  claims  to  the  consideration  of  the  commander- 
in-chief. 

"  The  volunteers  might  be  called  from  the  several  di 
visions  in  proportion  to  their  strength.  I  am  using  ev 
ery  exertion  to  cause  my  division  to  be  completely  or 
ganized." 

From  Governor  Brown. 

''Jackson,  Sept,  17th,  1845. 

"  DEAR  SIR, — Anticipating  the  probable  wishes  of  the 
militia  of  this  state  in  the  event  of  open  hostilities  be 
tween  Mexico  and  this  country,  I  wrote  to  the  secretary 
of  war  some  weeks  since,  asking  that  our  people  might 
be  allowed  to  take  part  in  any  fight  that  might  be  going 
on.  His  answer  has  been  received.  But  little  expecta 
tion  is  entertained  at  Washington  of  any  serious  diffi 
culty,  and  the  secretary  does  not  encourage  the  hope  that 
Mississippi  will  get  any  part  of  the  glory  of  the  struggle 
if  it  occurs.  The  honor  is  first  reserved  for  Texas,  and 
then  for  Louisiana  and  Alabama.  We  are  informed  that 
it  is  possible  our  aid  may  be  needed  in  a  very  remote 
contingency.  The  secretary,  nevertheless,  expresses  his 
pleasure  in  knowing  that  we  are  always  ready. 

"  It  will  be  your  right  to  have  the  first  command  in 
case  of  a  call,  and  that  right  will  be  respected  so  far  as  I 
have  any  thing  to  do  with  the  matter.  The  secretary 
speaks  of  the  possibility  of  a  call  in  this  state  for  one 
regiment  of  volunteers,  and  furnishes  me  with  a  list  of 
officers,  etc.,  etc.,  required  in  such  an  emergency.  But 
the  prospect  of  a  war  in  which  our  services  will  be  need 
ed  is  so  remote  that  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  speculate 
about  it. 

"  By  reference  to  the  register  in  the  adjutant  general's 
office,  I  find  that  your  commission  will  expire  on  the  loth 
of  November.  I  have,  therefore,  ordered  an  election  3d 
and  4th  November.  This  precaution  was  deemed  by 
me  necessary.  In  the  present  state  of  the  country  no 
vacancy  should  exist,  if  it  can  be  avoided,  in  any  mil 
itary  office.  I  take  it  for  granted,  if  you  desire  a  re-elec- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  225 

tion,  you  will  get  it,  and  most  likely  without  opposi 
tion." 

General  Quitman  had,  previous  to  this  correspondence, 
written  as  follows  to  our  delegation  in  Congress : 

"  To  Messrs.  Davis,  Adams,  Thompson,  and  Roberts, 
senators  and  representatives  in  Congress. 

"Natchez,  May  22d,  1846. 

"  GEXTLEMEX, — We  have  just  received  the  late  act  of 
Congress  providing  for  the  Mexican  war.  Our  people 
are  in  a  state  of  the  highest  excitement.  Old  and  young, 
rich  and  poor,  Democrats  and  Whigs,  are  ready  to  vol 
unteer.  They  fear  Mississippi  will  not  have  a  fair  chance. 
Already  Louisiana  has  been  permitted  to  send  4000  men 
to  the  Rio  Grande,  and  General  Gaines  has  granted  nu 
merous  commissions  to  persons  around  him  in  New  Or 
leans  to  organize  regiments.  We  are  dissatisfied.  We 
have  been  ready  from  the  commencement  to  raise  5000 
men — men  who  have  at  heart  the  good  of  Mississippi, 
and  who  wish  to  serve,  as  Mississippians,  under  the  nag 
of  their  own  state,  under  the  direct  command  of  their 
own  officers — brave  men,  who  desire  to  serve  their  coun 
try,  confer  honor  on  their  much-abused  state,  and  win 
laurels  for  themselves.  But  the  door  is  closed  to  them. 
They  are  chafing  at  this  neglect.  We  were  foremost  in 
the  measure  of  annexation.  We  regard  the  present  as 
our  own  quarrel.  We  feel  strong  enough  to  fight  it  out ; 
ay,  if  need  be,  to  carry  our  eagle  to  the  Pacific.  We  de 
sire  no  aid  from  the  Abolitionists.  The  Northern  States 
question  our  strength  in  war.  Then  let  this  war  be  the 
test.  England  is  looking  on  to  witness  the  weakness 
of  the  slaveholding  states.  Let  President  Polk  give  us 
an  opportunity  of  showing  our  spirit,  muscle,  and  re 
sources,  and  of  repelling  the  slanders  upon  our  institu 
tions.  If  he  refuses,  he  is  not  the  man  we  took  him  for. 
We  are  near  the  theatre  of  war.  We  are  inured  to  the 
summer  sun.  We  have  no  dread  of  chapparals  or  yel 
low  fever.  Far  from  the  seat  of  government,  should  the 
call  for  volunteers  be  made  general,  the  requisition  will 
be  filled  before  we  even  hear  of  the  call.  We  ask,  there 
fore,  that  to  Mississippi  be  assigned  the  privilege  of  fur- 
K  2 


226  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

nishing  a  quota  of  volunteers  equal  at  least  to  Louisiana. 
She  is  entitled  to  it  from  her  propinquity,  from  the  spirit 
she  has  ever  displayed,  from  the  blood  and  treasure  she 
gave  to  Texas  when  danger  and  death,  not  laurels  or 
riches,  were  the  harvest.  Our  people  are  proud  and 
spirited.  They  will  not  volunteer  while  subject  to  the 
mortification  of  having  their  services  rejected.  They  are 
too  much  attached  to  the  free  spirit  of  their  state  Con 
stitution,  which  gives  them  the  selection  of  those  who  are 
to  command  them  in  peace  and  in  war,  to  submit  to  be 
enlisted  as  mercenaries.  They  look  to  you,  as  their  min 
isters  at  the  seat  of  government,  to  protect  their  honor 
and  their  interests.  The  present  mode  of  appointing  or 
commissioning  individuals  is  odious.  It  will  destroy  the 
moral  effect  of  the  system  of  volunteering.  It  will  re 
press  their  ardor,  and  withhold  from  the  ranks  the  best 
material  of  the  country. 

"  I  am  happy  to  hear  our  patriotic  governor  (Brown) 
has  appealed  to  the  President  in  behalf  of  this  state.  If 
we  are  not  allowed  to  participate  in  the  perils  and  glory 
of  this  war,  woe  to  those  who  prevent  it. 

"  I  have  been  an  active  officer  in  the  militia  more  than 
twenty  years,  and  I  feel  a  deep  interest  in  preserving  the 
military  reputation  Mississippi  acquired  in  former  wars." 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  227 


CHAPTER  IX. 

War  with  Mexico. — Quitman  offers  his  Services. — Coldness  of  the 
President. — Parallel  between  Quitman  and  Polk. — The  Cabinet. — 
Exertions  for  Quitman. — Ilis  Appointment. — Diary. — The  Army  at 
Camargo. — Character  of  Gen.  Taylor. — Neglect  of  the  War  De 
partment. — The  March. — Monterey. — The  Battle. — The  Capitula 
tion. — Gen.  Taylor's  Letter  to  Gen.  Gaines. — Political  Jealousy. — 
Col.  Jefferson  Davis. — Moral  Effect  of  the  Capitulation. — Quit- 
man's  View  of  it. — Letter  to  Robert  J.  Walker. 

WAR  with  Mexico  had  now  commenced,  and  Congress, 
by  an  act  passed  May  13th  1846,  had  authorized  the 
President  to  call  for  50,000  volunteers,  and  to  appoint  a 
number  of  general  officers.  On  the  20th  of  May,  Gen. 
Quitman  wrote  to  a  friend  who  had  urged  him  to  enter 
the  army  as  follows : 

To  J.F.IL  Claiborne. 

"  DEAR  CLAIBORXE, — I  received  your  letter  at  a  time 
when  we  were  plunged  in  the  deepest  grief  for  the  loss 
of  our  second  daughter.  The  stirring  events  on  the  Rio 
Grande  have  roused  me  from  my  lethargy.  I  feel  anx 
ious  to  take  part  in  the  conflict,  and  some  of  my  friends 
think  me  entitled  to  the  command  of  such  troops  as  may 
volunteer  from  this  state.  I  have  been  so  often  disap 
pointed  that  I  am  prepared  now  to  believe  that  my  few 
ardent  friends  overrate  my  pretensions  and  popularity. 
I  make  no  claim  whatever.  I  have  served  actively  in  the 
militia  over  twenty  years,  and  have  some  knowledge  of 
tactics  and  discipline,  and  a  turn  for  military  life.  It 
would  be  a  proud  day  for  me  to  lead  the  gallant  sons  of 
Mississippi  to  victory.  Without  any  assurances  that  I 
shall  be  selected,  I  wish  to  say  to  you  that,  should  the 
event  occur,  and  your  health  will  allow  you  to  go,  it 


228  LIFE    AND   COKKESPONDENCE    OF 

would  gratify  me  much  to  have  you  with  me.  I  shall 
address  the  President  to-morrow,  and  on  the  28th  I  shall 
leave  for  Washington.  If  the  President  does  not  give 
me  an  equal  chance  with  Louisiana,  I  shall  not  be  silent. 
Should  I  be  appointed,  all  is  ready,  and  I  will  be  prompt 
ly  in  the  saddle." 

On  the  21st,  Gen.  Quitman  made  a,  formal  tender  of  his 
services  to  President  Polk.  No  notice  was  taken'  of  his 
letter.  He  was  not  a  favorite  with  the  President.  They 
were  constitutionally  dissimilar.  Quitman  cared  little 
for  party  forms  or  names,  but  adhered  inflexibly,  and  at 
any  sacrifice,  and  in  scorn  of  all  compromises,  to  a  cer 
tain  set  of  principles.  Polk  was  a  political  martinet,  a 
rigid  disciplinarian,  and  regarded  the  decision  of  a  cau 
cus  as  sacred  and  binding  as  the  decree  of  a  court.  He 
was  a  man  of  ability,  but  a  man  of  expediency,  and  found 
in  compromises,  which  are,  in  fact,  concessions  of  rights, 
the  easiest  solution  for  political  difficulties.  Quitman 
was  genial,  ardent,  and  impulsive.  Polk  was  grave  al 
most  to  sadness,  self-restrained,  and  chilling.  One  had 
the  frankness  and  sincerity  of  a  soldier ;  the  other  the  re 
serve  and  tact  of  a  diplomatist.  The  popularity  of  one 
was  owing  to  his  engaging  qualities,  and  the  general  con 
fidence  reposed  in  his  integrity  and  firmness  ;  the  other 
was  indebted  for  his  elevation  to  his  energy,  his  circum 
spection,  his  capacity  for  labor,  his  fidelity  to  party,  and, 
more  than  all,  to  the  influence  of  Gen.  Jackson,  who,  for 
the  sake  of  Texas,  reluctantly  abandoned  Mr.  Van  Buren, 
the  most  loyal  of  his  friends,  and  gave  the  weight  of  his 
great  name  in  favor  of  Mr.  Polk.  Quitman  never  desert 
ed  a  friend,  or  forgot  a  favor.  Years  after  he  became 
rich  and  influential,  he  had  a  grateful  recollection  of  kind 
ness  and  hospitality  when  he  was  a  poor  young  man ;  he 
never  forgot  his  early  comrades  in  the  Texas  expedition, 
and  to  the  last  hour  of  his  life  was  mindful  of  their  inter- 


JOHN  A.  QUITHAN.  220 

ests.  Mr.  Polk,  once  seated  in  the  presidency,  even  for 
got  his  obligations  to  Gen.  Jackson.  Quitman  was  a 
man  prompt  to  decide,  and  acted  upon  his  decisions  with 
energy  and  fearlessness,  as  confident  when  proceeding 
singly,  on  his  own  judgment,  as  though  he  had  the  ap 
proval  of  all  the  world.  Polk  was  constitutionally  tim 
id,  and  only  bold  when  supported  by  others  bolder  than 
himself.  He  had  a  vigorous  and  able  cabinet* — one  of 

*  Written  for  the  Neio  Orleans  Sunday  Delta. 

THE  CABINET — PAST  AND  PRESENT. — The  speculation  in  relation  to 
the  incoming  cabinet  may  be  unprofitable,  but  is  not  unpleasant.  It 
gives  every  one  an  opportunity  to  have  "  his  say,"  or  his  fling  at  this 
or  that  man. 

The  importance  attached  to  the  cabinet  is  very  much  exaggerated. 
Those  who  are  curious  as  to  the  origin  of  the  departments  may  refer 
to  Laws  of  the  U.  S.,  vol.  i.,  Biorcn  and  Duane's  edition.  In  England 
the  cabinet  is  every  thing,  and  the  crown  a  symbol,  an  effigy.  In  this 
country,  with  a  great  man  for  chief  magistrate,  cabinets  are  mere  con 
veniences  for  administration. 

Gen.  Washington  was  a  firm,  safe,  and  prudent  man,  and  with  Jef 
ferson,  Hamilton,  Pickering,  Wolcott,  and  Knox  in  his  cabinet — in 
spite  of  the  jealousy  and  counter-intrigues  of  the  two  first — the  early 
and  trying  stages  of  a  new  government  were  passed  in  safety. 

John  Adams  was  a  self-willed,  crotchety,  suspicious,  impulsive,  ego 
tistical,  and  ambitious  man,  but  full  of  the  stuff  of  which  patriots  are 
made.  He  was  "never,"  as  he  said  of  himself  in  1778,  "much  of  a 
John  Bull.  I  was  John  Yankee,  and  as  such  I  shall  live  and  die." 
This  bold,  high-spirited,  but  pig-headed  man  got  on  badly  with  his  cab 
inet.  His  jealousy  of  Hamilton  made  him  distrustful  of  every  one 
about  him. 

Thomas  Jefferson  threw  his  cabinet  into  deep  shadow.  There  were 
very  able  men  in  it,  but  his  views,  not  theirs,  were  stamped  upon  the 
administration. 

James  Madison  was  a  closet  statesman,  a  philosopher — pure,  but 
timid  to  infirmity — ignorant  of  men,  unsuspicious  and  confiding.  He 
required  bold,  energetic  advisers  to  counteract  his  idiosyncratic  tend 
ency  to  hesitate.  For  the  most  part  his  ministers  were,  in  this  respect, 
as  deficient  as  himself,  and  hence  the  blunders  that  occurred  during 
his  administration,  both  in  our  financial  policy  and  in  the  war  with 
Great  Britain. 

President  Monroe  was  a  dull,  weak  man — singularly  so  ;  a  man  of 
phraseology  and  ceremonial ;  elevated  by  the  traditional  ascendency 
of  Virginia,  and  a  combination  of  factions  comprising  the  highest  tal 
ent  of  the  nation,  all  jealous  of  each  other,  but  willing  to  put  him  in 
power  as  one  easily  moulded  to  their  own  personal  views  and  aspira 
tions.  The  consequence  of  this  state  of  things  was  a  cabinet  of  match- 


230  LIFE   AND    COKKESPONDEXCE    OF 

the  ablest  ever  assembled  around  any  executive — and 
the  achievements  of  our  armies  gave  eclat  to  his  admin- 
less  ability.  John  Quincy  Adams,  \Vm.  H.  Crawford,  John  C.  Cal- 
houn,  William  Wirt,  were  members  of  it — all  struggling  for  the  pres 
idency.  There  was  but  one  point  in  which  those  distinguished  men 
resembled  each  other — insatiable  ambition.  In  every  thing  else — fig 
ure,  countenance,  manners,  temperament,  opinions,  tastes — they  dif 
fered. 

The  first  was  low,  swart,  cold,  and  repulsive,  irritable  and  eccentric  ; 
more  deeply  read  than  his  father,  yet  knowing  even  less  of  mankind. 
A  splendid  writer,  a  master  of  rhetoric,  defiant  in  his  opinions,  easily 
inflamed,  brave  to  martyrdom,  yet  so  frigid,  formal,  and  saturnine  that 
few  could  approach,  and  none  could  love  him.  His  political  opinions 
were  erratic  and  variable,  and  were,  all  his  life,  controlled  more  or  less 
by  personal  resentments.  His  first  great  apostasy  may  be  traced  to 
this  source,  and  to  the  same  feeling  may  be  justly  attributed  the  war 
that  he  waged  against  domestic  servitude  in  his  latter  days — a  war  ut 
terly  at  variance  with  his  recorded  and  deliberate  opinions  when  sec 
retary  of  state. 

Mr.  Crawford  was  a  man  of  colossal  stature,  and  of  massive  intel 
lect.  In  astronomy  or  mathematics  he  would  have  been  pre-eminent. 
No  man  in  this  or  any  other  country  had  a  more  thorough  knowledge 
of  political  economy,  and  especially  of  finance.  He  spoke  with  great 
cogency,  and  wielded  a  luminous  pen.  A  Virginian  by  birth  and  edu 
cation,  he  carried  the  political  opinions  of  the  renowned  commonwealth 
into  Georgia,  and,  until  he  was  stricken  down  by  paralysis  on  the  thresh 
old  of  the  presidency,  she  never  wavered  from  the  true  Jeffersonian 
faith.  Her  subsequent  career  has  been  one  of  inconsistency  and  error, 
until  lately  she  has  taken  her  stand  as  the  empire  state  of  democracy — 
great  in  her  resources,  great  in  her  moral  and  physical  development, 
great  in  the  ability  and  reputation  of  her  sons. 

The  third  on  this  list — the  proud  and  sensitive  Carolinian — was  tall, 
but  not  stately ;  rather  with  the  slight  stoop  of  a  student  than  the  pres 
ence  of  a  soldier ;  with  strongly-lined,  intellectual  features,  and  man 
ners  simple  and  winning  as  a  child's.  The  young  loved  him  most, 
for  his  noble  heart  and  generous  affections  were  fenced  in  by  no  con 
ventionalities,  but  were  freely,  and  often  injudiciously  bestowed.  Few 
public  men  have  suffered  more  from  ill-timed  confidences,  or  paid, 
without  flinching,  heavier  penalties  for  the  indiscretions  of  others. 
A  man  of  purer  sentiments,  of  simpler  habits,  or  more  irreproachable 
morals,  never  lived.  The  atmosphere  of  the  metropolis,  its  sirens  and 
seductions,  had  for  him  no  taint.  Calumny  itself  never  imputed  to 
him,  during  a  lifetime  of  temptation,  a  single  lapse  from  virtue.  Yet 
he  viewed  with  no  ascetic  eye  the  infirmities  of  others,  and  never  pur 
sued  error  as  a  crime.  His  most  intimate  friend,  the  late  Warren 
R.  Davis,  one  of  the  most  gifted  men  of  his  day,  was  proverbial  for 
his  frailties  and  indiscretions.  Mr.  Calhoun  was  fixed,  rigid,  and  im 
movable  in  his  notions  of  right  and  wrong.  He  early  adopted  cer 
tain  great  principles  for  the  regulation  of  his  political  conduct,  but, 
with  singular  blindness,  he  constantly  wandered  from  them.  His  in- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  231 

istration ;  but  he  can  only  be  regarded  as  a  man  of  medi 
ocrity,  who  rose  to  power  in  the  train  of  Gen.  Jackson, 

tellectual  vision,  miraculously  acute  in  all  other  respects,  was  notori 
ously  obtuse  when  studying  himself.  To  the  last  hour  of  his  life  he 
was  persuaded  that  his  political  career  had  been  uniform  and  inflexi 
ble,  when  to  every  one  else  his  inconsistencies  were  transparent.  He 
was  less  deeply  read  than  Mr.  Adams;  he  knew  less  of  mankind  than 
Mr.  Crawford ;  nothing  of  the  management  or  discipline  of  party. 
But  he  had  more  intellect,  more  individuality,  more  concentrative- 
ncss,  more  enthusiasm,  a  higher  and  purer  appreciation  of  truth  than 
either  of  them,  or  any  other  statesman  our  country  has  produced. 

Mr.  Wirt,  the  attorney  general,  was  of  large  stature  and  heavy  cast 
of  features,  with  little,  at  that  period,  to  indicate  the  vivid  imagina 
tion  that  colored  and  exaggerated  his  early  productions.  He  was  ei 
ther  too  florid  or  too  jejune ;  always  too  elaborate.  He  was  an  ex 
cellent  man ;  a  little  too  saintly,  perhaps,  in  after  life,  in  atonement 
for  early  indiscretions,  as  the  feudal  barons  founded  monasteries  in 
compensation  for  their  crimes ;  a  delightful  companion,  very  suscep 
tible  of  flattery,  very  didactic,  very  credulous,  and  very  ambitious,  as 
his  acceptance  of  the  Anti-masonic  nomination  for  the  presidency  at 
an  advanced  period  of  his  life  demonstrates — a  nomination  a  truly 
great  man  would  have  scorned  to  accept,  even  though  certain  of  suc 
cess  ;  and  which  ended,  as  it  deserved  to  do,  in  disgraceful  abortion, 
a  complete  eclipse  of  Mr.  Wirt's  political  sun,  and  he  soon  after  died 
of  vexation  and  disappointment. 

This  cabinet,  it  may  readily  be  inferred,  was  the  government.  They 
made  of  Mr.  Monroe  a  mere  pageant.  He  traveled  from  city  to  city, 
and  from  state  to  state,  while  his  ministers  conducted  affairs.  In  this 
respect  they  Anglicized  our  government  for  the  time  being.  The 
splendid  diplomatic  correspondence  of  Mr.  Adams,  elaborate,  highly 
finished,  and  full  of  national  spirit;  the  luminous  treasury  reports  of 
Mr.  Crawford ;  and  the  powerful  impetus  given  to  fortifications,  in 
ternal  improvements,  and  manufactures  by  Mr.  Calhoun,  withdrew 
public  attention  entirely  from  President  Monroe.  The  cabinet  was 
every  thing.  The  game  was  for  the  presidency,  and  each  of  the  tri 
umvirate  played  a  bold  hand  for  it — Mr.  Calhoun  the  boldest  and 
most  hazardous,  full  of  promise  for  himself,  but  prolific  of  evil  to  the 
republic.  His  policy  favored  centralism.  He  pushed  the  constructive 
powers  of  the  government  to  the  farthest  boundary,  but  lived  to  atone 
for  this  fundamental  error  by  consecrating  his  intellect,  in  its  meridian 
glory,  and  his  untiring  energies,  even  to  the  closing  scene,  to  the  de 
fense  of  states'  rights. 

The  cabinet  of  John  Quincy  Adams  was  only  remarkable  because 
Mr.  Clay  conducted  the  department  of  state.  Mr.  Adams,  avowing 
from  the  first  his  intention  to  stand  for  a  second  term,  of  course  shaped 
the  policy  of  the  administration,  sometimes,  no  doubt,  against  the  ad 
vice  of  his  illustrious  premier ;  and  shaped  it  to  his  own  defeat  and 
the  exclusion  of  Mr.  Clay.  Had  their  positions  been  reversed — had 
Mr.  Clay  been  the  chief  magistrate  and  Mr.  Adams  the  minister,  Gen. 
Jackson,  in  all  probability,  would  not  have  been  elected.  Our  coun- 


232  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE    OF 

exempt  from  positive  vices,  remarkable  for  his  prudence, 
and  a  thorough  master  of  the  strategy  of  politics.  With 

try,  at  this  moment,  might  occupy  a  very  different  attitude.  What 
was  called  the  "American  System" — the  rapid  development  of  home 
manufactures  by  a  schedule  of  exorbitant  and,  in  some  instances,  pro 
hibiting  duties,  concentrating  vast  capital  in  few  hands;  national  bank 
ing  in  close  connection  with  the  federal  treasury ;  the  federal  govern 
ment  penetrating  the  states,  and  controlling  their  Legislatures  and 
popular  suffrage  by  internal  improvements  involving  large  outlays  of 
public  money  ;  and  a  close-fisted  policy  in  relation  to  the  public  lands, 
holding  them  at  fixed  prices,  refusing  the  right  of  pre-emption,  and 
impeding,  as  much  as  possible,  the  flow  of  immigration  from  the  man 
ufacturing  to  the  agricultural  states  —  this  vast  machinery  would, 
doubtless,  have  been  ingrafted  upon  the  national  policy,  had  the  chief 
magistrate  been  a  really  great  man,  of  popular  attributes,  like  Mr. 
Clay,  instead  of  a  political  enthusiast  who,  obstinate  as  his  distinguish 
ed  sire,  never  knew  when  to  retreat,  and  regarded  Fabius  as  an  histor 
ical  coward.  Under  this  policy  we  should  have  grown  compact,  for 
midable,  very  aristocratic,  very  English.  The  four  great  events  most 
memorable  in  our  annals  since  the  Revolution — the  separation  of  bank 
and  state,  the  metallic  currency,  the  annexation  of  Texas,  and  the 
conquest  of  California — would  yet  have  been  in  the  womb  of  time. 
A  scholar  and  not  a  statesman — a  creature  of  passion,  not  of  purpose 
— a  man  of  intense  and  unquenchable  ambition,  who  nevertheless 
lived  in  an  atmosphere  of  ice — consumed  by  his  own  fire,  but  chilling 
and  repelling  sympathy  and  confidence — was  chief,  and  the  govern 
ment,  by  popular  forms,  but  by  what  was,  morally,  a  revolution,  pass 
ed  into  the  hands  of  the  democracy.  A  democracy  not  contingent 
upon  the  mere  triumph  of  its  leader,  or  the  duration  of  his  official 
term,  but,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  a  democracy  under  every  ad 
ministration,  and  by  whatever  name  the  prevailing  party  happens  to 
be  called. 

Andrew  Jackson,  though  he  knew  little  of  books,  still  less  of  nation 
al  law,  and  nothing  of  diplomacy,  had  less  need  for  a  cabinet  than 
any  of  his  predecessors.  Chiefs  of  bureau,  or  a  few  competent  clerks, 
would  have  been  enough  for  him.  Nature  stamped  him  GREAT,  and 
the  most  sagacious  in  his  councils,  to  pass  current,  had  to  be  recoined 
from  the  same  die.  A  transfusion  of  ideas  flowed  from  him  to  them. 
He  astounded  experienced  politicians  and  jurists  by  his  intuitive  per 
ception  and  masculine  grasp  of  the  most  complicated  subjects.  He 
converted  men  to  his  views  as  much  by  this  great  faculty  as  by  an  in 
domitable  will ;  the  timid  felt  his  inspiration,  and  the  powerful  and 
factious  were  subdued  by  a  sublime  constancy  very  different  from  the 
insane  obstinacy  of  the  Adamses,  or  the  dogged  courage  of  Gen.  Tay 
lor.  He,  however,  surrounded  himself  with  able  men,  but  he  moved 
them  about  like  figures  on  a  chess-board,  transferring  them  to  other 
spheres  of  duty,  or  kicking  them,  unceremoniously,  overboard,  to  rise 
no  more.  Van  Buren,  Forsyth,  Cass,  Livingston,  Berrien,  M'Lane, 
Taney,  Barry,  Duane,  Woodbury,  Eaton,  Dickerson,  Ingham,  Branch, 
and  Butler,  were  in  his  cabinet  at  different  periods. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  233 

all  the  power  and  patronage  of  the  government  (greatly 
augmented  by  the  war),  and  with  the  lustre  of  victory 

Mr.  Van  Buren  had  played  a  masterly  role  in  the  political  drama. 
Regarding  politics  as  a  game,  his  great  forte  was  in  stocking  the 
cards.  His  peculiar  trait  was  caution,  improperly  termed  non-com- 
mittalism.  It  was  something  more  comprehensive — forecast  and  sa 
gacity.  Under  the  mask  of  great  moderation,  and  with  something 
of  the  air  of  a  petit  maitrc,  there  lurked  a  vaulting  ambition.  His  fac 
ulty  for  governing  men,  his  untiring  energy  and  imperturbable  cool 
ness,  enabled  him  to  achieve  great  results  without  apparent  efibrt. 
Thus  this  accomplished  tactician,  while  Adonizing  before  his  looking- 
glass,1  and  toying  with  the  square-rigged  belles  of  Albany,  or  the 
more  voluptuous  beauties  of  Washington,  was  dethroning  De  Witt 
Clinton,  checkmating  Clay,  Webster,  and  Calhoun,  and  scattering 
roses  in  his  pathway  to  the  presidency.  When  news  of  the  advance 
of  Napoleon  upon  Waterloo  reached  the  Duke  of  Wellington,  he  was 
in  the  ball-room  of  the  Duchess  of  Richmond,  at  Brussels,  and,  with 
undisturbed  composure,  escorted  her  grace  to  supper.  Thus,  while 
the  great  tribune  of  the  Senate  was  hurling  his  thunderbolts  at  Vice- 
president  Van  Buren,  threatening  his  political  fortunes  with  every 
blow,  that  gentleman  sat  with  a  quiet  smile  upon  his  face,  and,  with 
inimitable  sang  froid,  sent  his  snuft'-box  to  Mr.  Clay  the  moment  he 
resumed  his  seat !  The  good-humor  of  the  Senate  was  restored,  and 
the  great  orator  himself  perceived  that  his  mighty  effort  had  been 
fruitless.  The  little  magician  was  "up  to  snuff"." 

The  late  John  Forsyth  was  one  of  the  most  accomplished  men  of 
his  times.  As  an  impromptu  debater,  to  bring  on  an  action,  or  to 
cover  a  retreat,  he  never  had  his  superior.  He  was  acute,  witty,  full 
of  resources,  and  ever  prompt — impetuous  as  Murat  in  a  charge,  adroit 
as  Soult  when  outflanked  and  outnumbered;  he  was  haughty  in  the 
presence  of  enemies,  affable  and  winning  among  friends ;  his  manners 
were  courtly  and  diplomatic.  In  the  times  of  Louis  XIV.,  he  would 
have  rivaled  the  most  celebrated  courtiers ;  under  the  dynasty  of 
Napoleon  he  would  have  won  the  baton  of  France.  He  never  failed 
to  command  the  confidence  of  his  party ;  he  never  feared  any  odds 
arrayed  against  it,'  and  at  one  crisis  was  almost  its  sole  support  in  the 
Senate  against  the  most  brilliant  and  formidable  opposition  ever  or 
ganized  against  an  administration.  With  the  ladies  he  was  irresist 
ible.  During  his  diplomatic  residence  in  Spain  the  demand  for  duen 
nas  could  scarcely  be  supplied,  and  even  royalty  smiled  more  indul 
gently  than  he  wished.  This  gallant  and  high-spirited  gentleman 
died  suddenly,  in  the  enjoyment  of  great  popularity. 

Gen.  Cass  I  have,  on  a  former  occasion,  elaborately  sketched.  His 
massive  intellect,  his  highly  cultivated  tastes,  his  consistent  political 
career,  the  landmarks  he'lias  left  on  our  foreign  and  domestic  policy, 
are  all  matters  of  history.  He  was  a  prominent  feature  of  the  Jack- 

;  When  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  elected  president  he  .sold  the  lease  and  furniture  of  his 
house  in  the  "Thirteen  Buildings"  to  a  distinguished  senator.  With  him  I  inspect 
ed  the  premises.  Every  thing  was  found  in  perfect  order,  and  nearly  new,  except  the 
carpet  before  a  French  mirror  in  liid  dressing-room ;  that  was  worn  threadbare. 


234  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

and  vast  territorial  acquisitions  reflected  on  him,  he,  nev 
ertheless,  in  four  years,  witnessed  the  decay  of  his  popu- 

son  administration,  and,  by  a  single  but  masterly  article  in  the  North 
American  Review,  brought  to  a  satisfactory  conclusion  the  Indian 
question,  the  great  party  and  moral  excitement  of  that  period — an  ex 
citement  which,  up  to  the  appearance  of  that  article,  had  marshaled 
the  press  and  pulpit  of  the  North,  and  much  of  the  conscience  of  the 
South,  against  the  administration.  Subsequently  he  went  to  France, 
and  the  influence  he  exerted  there  upon  momentous  issues  has  never 
been  exceeded  in  the  history  of  diplomacy.  His  career  thenceforth 
is  a  household  word  to  the  nation. 

Mr.  Bcrrien  and  Mr.  Livingston  were  both  very  eminent  at  the  bar. 
The  one  was  an  able  lawyer  merely ;  the  latter  a  great  jurist.  The 
one  had  the  sharpness,  the  plausibility,  and  the  acute  but  contracted 
grasp  of  the  technical  attorney ;  the  other  was  comprehensive,  elo 
quent,  and  learned.  Mr.  Berrien  could  split  hairs  like  Mr.  Tazewell ; 
Livingston  grappled  with  generalities  like  Lord  Brougham.  The 
mind  of  one  resembled  a  dictionary ;  the  other  a  code.  Berrien  was 
a  conscientious  man,  who  always  meant  to  do  right,  but  by  an  unfor 
tunate  process  of  ratiocination  usually  got  wrong.  Livingston  was 
unscrupulous,  but  from  policy  generally  did  what  his  discriminating 
judgment  decided  would  be  right,  lie  was  courtly  and  insincere, 
prone  to  intrigue,  with  no  fixed  principles,  political  or  moral ;  and  the 
stain  of  official  defalcation  will  ever  shadow  the  lustre  of  his  fame. 

Both  Mr.  M'Lane  and  Mr.  Taney  had  belonged  to  the  ancient  Fed 
eral  party,  but  since  its  extinction  had  acted  with  the  Democracy.  In 
one  respect  their  fortunes  were  not  the  same.  The  former,  at  every 
period  of  his  career,  has  been  singularly  exempt  from  political  vitu 
peration,  while  the  latter,  before  he  became  chief-justice,  literally 
walked  through  the  fiery  furnace — an  ordeal  that  he  sustained  with 
unshaken  equanimity. 

Mr.  Woodbury  shared  the  opprobrium  that  was  cast  upon  Mr. 
Taney.  Every  form  of  detraction  was  exhausted  upon  him.  He  was 
a  man  of  strong  sense  and  clear  perceptions,  but  an  awkward  and  in 
volved  style  by  no  means  expressed  the  impressions  of  his  mind.  He 
thus,  while  in  the  treasury,  had  the  reputation  of  being  obtuse ;  but 
when  he  resumed  his  place  in  the  Senate,  and  had  the  opportunity  of 
explaining  his  reports  and  vindicating  the  financial  policy  inaugurated 
by  Gen.  Jackson,  his  reputation  rose  to  its  proper  level.  Unhappily, 
in  the  full  vigor  of  a  well-preserved  life,  he  died  with  his  hand  upon 
the  presidency.  His  mansion  at  Washington  was  noted  for  its  liberal 
and  elegant  hospitality — always  crowded  by  the  young  and  gifted, 
and  adorned  by  a  household  of  incomparable  grace  and  beauty. 

Of  the  other  members  of  this  cabinet,  Mr.  Dickcrson  was  a  sensible 
and  amiable  man,  but  too  infirm  for  his  place.  Mr.  Barry  was  a  man 
of  talent — an  orator  cultured  in  the  great  controversy  of  the  old  and 
new  court  parties  of  Kentucky.  His  voice,  his  manner,  and  his  dec 
lamation  were  of  the  school  of  Patrick  Henry,  but  he  was  utterly 
unfit  for  the  Post-office  Department.  Mr.  Duane  was  fantastic  and 
feeble,  though  he  fancied  himself  profound.  Mr.  Ingham  was  stolid 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  235 

larity,  and  no  one  but  himself  dreamed  of  his  re-elec 
tion. 

Mr.  Polk  regarded  many  of  the  leading  men  of  the 
state-rights  school  with  a  jaundiced  eye ;  but,  as  that 
wing  of  the  party  had  assisted  him  to  defeat  Mr.  Van 
Buren,  and  occupied  a  strong  position  in  the  South  by 
their  resolute  attitude  on  the  Texas  question,  he  could 
not  venture,  in  this  instance,  to  disoblige  them.  Mr.  Cnl- 
houn,  who,  like  Mr.  Clay,  had  never  from  any  adminis 
tration  asked  a  favor  for  a  relative,*  applied  in  person  to 
the  President  for  the  appointment  of  Quitman.  The 
South  Carolina  delegation  united  in  the  application. 

and  treacherous  ;  Mr.  Branch  honest,  but  impracticable ;  and  Major 
Eaton — lately  dead — could  not  be  classed  above  mediocrity. 

Benjamin  F.  Butler,  attorney  general  and  secretary  of  war — a  po 
litical  saint — studied  finance,  I  believe,  under  Jacob  Barker,  at  Sandy 
Hill,  and  psalmody  and  the  prayer-book  with  Henry  Ward  Beecher. 
He  never  took  a  questionable  step  in  politics  or  peculation  without 
first  finding  a  precedent  or  a  text  to  justify  it,  precisely  as  Beecher 
pretends  to  find,  in  the  New  Testament,  a  warrant  for  Sharpe's  rifles, 
insurrection,  and  massacre. 

Of  succeeding  cabinets,  of  the  policy  likely  to  be  pursued  by  the 
President  elect,  and  of  the  duty  of  the  country,  and  especially  of  the 
South,  without  distinction  of  party,  in  the  crisis  before  us,  I  may  treat 
in  my  next  number. 

Bay  of  St.  Loui.-*,  January  1st,  1S57. 

*  When  Mr.  Polk  went  into  the  presidency,  Mr.  Clay  had  a  son-in- 
law — a  most  estimable  man,  who  had  lost  a  large  fortune  without  the 
slightest  stain  on  his  character — in  an  office  connected  with  the  cus 
toms,  but  carrying  with  it  little  or  no  patronage.  He  was  a  Whig, 
but  had  never  taken  any  part  in  politics,  except  to  advocate  very 
warmly  the  annexation  of  Texas,  a  favorite  measure  with  the  Demo 
cratic  party.  Mr.  Clay  made  no  effort  in  his  behalf.  But  a  distin 
guished  Southern  senator,  acting  with  the  administration  on  the  Tex 
as  question,  and  who  had  placed  Mr.  Polk  under  peculiar  personal 
obligations  (warmly  expressed)  by  his  course  in  another  matter,  and 
the  author  of  this  biography,  urged  the  retention  of  this  gentleman 
both  on  account  of  his  personal  merits,  as  an  act  of  policy  and  concil 
iation,  and  as  a  graceful  compliment  to  Mr.  Clay.  Mr.  Polk  acqui 
esced  in  the  points  urged  with  great  apparent  cordiality  ;  assured  the 
parties  that  their  friend  should  be  retained,  and  authorized  the  sena 
tor  so  to  inform  him.  He  was  shortly  thereafter  superseded,  without 
any  charge,  complaint,  or  explanation.  I  am  not  aware  that  Mr. 
Clay  ever  had  any  other  relative  in  office.  He  several  times  expressed 
in  writing  a  grateful  recollection  of  the  efforts  made  at  the  time,  with 
out  his  knowledge,  in  behalf  of  his  son-in-law  and  friend. 


236  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

The  senators  and  representatives  from  Mississippi,  aided 
by  Messrs.  La  Sere  and  Harmanson,  of  Louisiana,  and 
Messrs.  Rusk  and  Kaufman,  of  Texas,  and  Westcott,  of 
Florida,  strongly  urged  the  appointment.  Many  early 
and  constant  friends  in  Mississippi,  with  the  Hon.  A.  G. 
Brown,  then  governor  of  the  state,  at  their  head,  claimed 
it  for  him  in  the  strongest  terms. 

This  pressure  from  so  many  influential  quarters  was 
not  to  be  resisted,  and  his  commission  as  brigadier  gen 
eral  was  duly  made  out.  He  addressed  the  secretary 
of  war  as  follows : 

"Barnum's  Hotel,  Baltimore,  July  2d,  1846. 
"  SIR,— My  friend,  Mr.  Chalmers,  of  the  II.  S.  Senate, 
has  just  informed  me  that  I  have  been  appointed  a  brig 
adier  general  of  volunteers,  under  the  late  act  of  Con 
gress.  Not  doubting  that  it  is  the  wish  of  the  depart 
ment  that  the  volunteers  shall  be,  as  early  as  possible, 
under  the  immediate  command  of  responsible  general  of 
ficers,  I  desire  to  repair  to  my  post  immediately.  To 
make  arrangements  for  my  family  during  my  absence, 
and  to  equip  myself  for  the  service,  it  will  be  necessary 
for  me  to  spend  one  day  in  New  York.  Unless,  there 
fore,  I  receive  orders  to  the  contrary,  I  shall  proceed  there 
to-morrow  morning,  and  in  three  days  thereafter  will 
present  myself  for  orders.  In  the  mean  time,  should  it  be 
important  to  the  service  that  I  should  receive  orders 
while  in  New  York,  I  will  be  happy  to  receive  them  by 
express,  at  my  own  cost.  These  arrangements  have  been 
made  for  the  comfort  of  my  family,  who  are  with  me,  and 
to  prevent  some  pecuniary  sacrifice  on  my  part,  which 
might  result  from  failure  to  see  my  agent  in  New  York. 
If,  however,  they  are  not  compatible  with  the  service,  I 
will  forego  them,  and  with  promptness  conform  to  the 
views  of  the  department." 

Among  his  papers  is  a  sort  of  diary,  in  pencil,  of  his 
movements  about  this  period. 

"  1846,  July  6th.  Bid  adieu  to  my  family  in  Philadel 
phia  and  reached  Washington  at  night. 


JOHN   A.    QUITMAN.  237 

"  7th.  Called  on  the  adjutant  general  and  received  my 
commission.  Took  the  oath  of  office.  Waited  on  the 
secretary  of  war  and  General  Scott.  Both  agreeable 
and  pleasant.  In  the  afternoon  called  on  the  President. 
Has  a  haggard  and  careworn  look.  Polite  and  chilly. 
Was  informed  that  the  relative  rank  of  brigadiers  had 
been  decided  by  lot,  and  that  I  had  drawn  No.  5. 

"  8th.  Devoted  to  preparations  for  my  journey  and 
letters  to  my  family. 

"  9th.  Took  the  cars  for  Cumberland ;  at  the  depot  Col. 
Sevier,  of  Arkansas,  and  Hon.  Jacob  Thompson,  placed 
under  my  charge  Miss  W.,  of  Rodney,  a  charming  young 
Mississippian,  who  had  just  completed  her  education  and 
wished  to  return  home.  At  the  Relay  House  I  had  the 
pleasure  to  find  in  the  cars  from  Baltimore  my  young 
friends  Griffith,*  Dunbar,  and  Buhler,  on  their  way  to 
Natchez — an  agreeable  addition  to  our  party.  They  as 
sisted  me  in  attending  to  my  young  ward.  They  were 
lively  and  entertaining,  and  diverted  my  mind  from 
dwelling  constantly  on  the  separation  from  my  family. 

"  12th.  At  Pittsburg,  thermometer  102°  in  the  shade; 
a  foretaste  of  Mexico.  Twenty-seven  years  ago  I  arrived 
here,  a  foot-worn  traveler,  with  a  few  shillings  in  my 
pocket,  and  all  my  worldly  goods  in  a  single  trunk.  My 
comradef  and  myself  spent  two  days  chaffering  for  a 
cheap  passage  in  a  keel-boat.  To-day  I  can  draw  on  my 
merchants  in  New  Orleans,  New  York,  and  Liverpool, 
and  the  attentive 'landlord  at  the  noble  hotel  where  I  put 
up  secures  for  me  a  state-room  in  a  splendid  steamer.  I 
hope  time  and  fortune  have  dealt  lightly  by  my  friend. 
He  had  a  small  adventure  of  goods,  and  was  bound  to 
ward  the  Upper  Mississippi.  I  had  an  engagement  to 
teach  school  in  Ohio,  and  the  privilege  of  reading  law. 
My  past  has  been  fortunate,  but  what  of  the  future  ?  I 
have  sometimes  thought  I  had  a  forecast  of  coming 

*  The  only  child  of  his  early  partner  and  benefactor,  a  young  man 
who  inherited  his  father's  talents,  and  died  on  the  threshold  of  a  bril 
liant  career.  He  had  been  carefully  educated  for  the  bar  under  the 
eye  of  his  distinguished  grandfather,  the  Hon.  Edward  Turner,  of 
Natchez. 

f  Jason  Whiting.  The  last  trace  I  find  of  him  is  in  a  letter  dated 
Litchfield,  Connecticut,  in  1835,  where  he  had  resided  forsixteen  years, 
merchandising  and  manufacturing  papei% 


LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OP 

events.  But  now  every  thing  is  strangely  dim.  In  this 
uncertainty  let  duty  be  the  watchword,  and  forward ! 
ever  forward ! 

"  13th.  Embarked  for  Cincinnati,  where  we  arrived  on 
the  15th. 

"16th.  At  Louisville.  Had  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
General  Butler,  and  to  learn  that  he  would  descend  the 
river  with  us. 

"18th.  Left  in  the  Peytona,  heavily  loaded;  ground 
ing  continually ;  fast  on  Cumberland  bar. 

"22d.  Got  in  the  very  slow  steamer  C.  Conner  and 
crept  ahead.  A  pleasant  little  party.  General  Butler 
and  his  aid,  Captain  Lay,  exceedingly  agreeable.  Miss 
W.  played  the  guitar  and  sung  sweetly,  and  my  young 
comrades  serenaded  her  at  night.  At  Memphis  General 
Butler  and  aid  left  us.  Here  I  met  General  Pillow. 

"28th.  Arrived  at  Natchez,  having  left  Miss  W.  at 
Rodney.  Got  to  Monmouth  late  at  night.  My  servants 
all  well,  but  ah !  how  solitary  was  my  home  in  the  ab 
sence  of  wife  and  children.  I  was  saddened  and  de 
pressed,  and  should  have  felt  alone  in  the  world,  but  the 
mild  spirits  of  my  lost  children  came  to  fill  my  heart. 
The  little  group  of  angels,  John,  Edward,  Mary,  and 
Sarah,  seemed  to  gather  visibly  about  me,  and  my  mind 
was  soothed  with  gentle  and  tranquil  visions. 

"  30th.  With  my  faithful  servant  Harry,  a  free  boy 
named  Albert  whom  I  had  hired  at  Louisville,  my  good 
horse  Messenger,*  and  another  purchased  from  Doctor 
Ford,  I  set  out  in  the  Cora  for  New  Orleans,  where  we 
arrived  next  evening.  My  old  friend  and  pupil,  Clai- 
borne,  came  to  meet  me  on  the  boat,  delighted  at  my 
appointment.  Took  lodgings  at  the  St.  Charles,  where 
I  found  General  Butler  and  aid,  General  Wool,  General 

*  From  Hon.  Joseph  Duiibar. 

"  Arundo,  May  27th,  1845. 

"  MY  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  sent  my  favorite  bay,  '  Messenger, '  to  Mr. 
Murray,  of  the  Mansion  House,  yesterday.  He  is  in  fine  spirits,  and 
will  speak  for  himself.  He  will  carry  you,  where  I  know  you  desire 
to  go,  into  the  trenches  of  the  enemy,  or,  if  need  be,  you  can  overtake 
with  him  their  flying  hosts.  He  is  not  'without  price,'  but  you  are 
welcome  to  him  '  without  money.'  If  I  was  a  little  younger,  or,  old 
as  I  am,  if  I  were  not  so  infirm,  I  would  go  with  you  to  the  post  of 
honor  and  of  duty.  Your  friend,  Jo.  DUNEAR." 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  239 

Shields,  General  Pillow,  and  many  other  officers.  Lieut. 
Colonel  Hunt,  United  States  quarter-master,  promised 
to  provide  me  transportation  as  soon  as  possible.  This 
officer  was,  like  President  Polk,  imperturbably  civil,  but 
not  disposed  to  accommodate  the  volunteer  arm  of  the 
service  more  than  he  could  help. 

"  Purchased  from  Peterson  and  Stewart  a  man  cook, 
Caesar,  to  carry  to  Mexico. 

"Had  some  daguerreotypes  taken.  Left  with  Mr. 
John  G.  Gaines,  Canal  Street,  one  for  my  wife,  one  for 
my  sisters,  and  one  for  my  friend  M'Murran.  M'Mur- 
ran  and  his  son  came  from  Pass  Christian  and  spent  a 
day  with  me. 

"  Aug.  4th.  Embarked  in  the  Steamer  New  York,  with 
Gens.  Butler,  Marshall,  Shields,  Pillow,  and  several  other 
officers.  At  the  Battle-ground,  received  two  companies 
Illinois  Volunteers. 

"  8th.  Brazos  St.  Jago.  Was  surprised  to  find  upward 
of  twenty  vessels  in  port.  Anchored  off  the  bar,  and 
went  over  in  a  small  steamer.  In  the  afternoon  I  rode 
down  the  beach  to  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  del  Norte,  where 
I  found  Col.  Jeff.  Davis,  with  the  Mississippi  regiment. 
\Vras  well  received  by  him.  A  great  deal  of  sickness, 
chiefly  diarrhea,  among  the  troops.  One  poor  fellow  ex 
pired  while  I  was  there ;  several  others  very  low. 

"  The  inspector  general  of  the  army,  Col.  Belknap,  is 
very  obliging.  He  advises  me  to  take  as  my  aid  Lieut. 
Chase,  of  Duncan's  battery,  or  Lieut.  Peck,  of  the  in 
fantry. 

"  10th.  Embarked  in  the  Aid  for  Matamoras  with  my 
servants  and  horse.  Arrived  on  the  llth.  Met  at  the 
restaurant  Gens.  Henderson  and  Hamcr. 

"llth.  Left  in  the  Eagle  for  Camargo.  The  river 
very  high  ;  current  some  five  miles  per  hour;  very  mud 
dy,  but  palatable  and  healthy.  Lands  on  the  banks  low 
and  subject  to  overflow;  soil  very  rich.  Farms  or  set 
tlements  occasionally,  but  poorly  cultivated. 

"  13th.  River  and  country  much  the  same ;  timber  a  lit 
tle  larger.  Navigation  difficult;  channel  narrow  and  rap 
id,  and  exceedingly  crooked.  Most  of  the  land  under 
water.  The  steamer  purchases  muskcet-wood  at  $2  50 
per  cord  for  dry,  $2  25  green.  At  one  of  the  landings 


240  LIFE   AND   COKRESPONDENCE   OF 

the  Tennessee  Volunteers  foraged  a  cotton-field  for  mel 
ons  ;  on  returning  to  the  boat  they  were  required  by 
their  officers  to  pay  for  them. 

"  14th.  Passed  Reynosa,  a  rather  pretty  town,  built  on 
a  limestone  ledge.  A  number  of  Mexicans  of  both  sexes 
bathing  in  the  lagoon.  They  resemble  Indians. 

"  17th.  Arrived  at  Camargo,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
San  Juan,  three  miles  above  its  junction  with  the  Rio 
Grande.  The  town  is  now  in  ruins,  owing  to  a  great 
spring  freshet  which  undermined  many  of  the  houses, 
built  of  unburnt  brick. 

"Found  Gen. Taylor's  quarters  just  above  the  town, 
and  pitched  my  tent  in  his  vicinity.  First  division  of 
regulars  are  encamped  half  a  mile  below ;  the  Kentucky 
Legion  and  several  companies  from  Tennessee  near  by. 

"  1 8th.  Dined  with  Gen.  Taylor ;  farmer-like,  frank, 
and  friendly ;  not  at  all  a  la  mode,  Polk. 

"  20th.  Ordered  to  take  command  of  the  3d  brigade, 
second  division,  volunteers,  consisting  of  the  regiments 
from  Mississippi,  Alabama,  and  Georgia,  and  the  battal 
ion  from  Maryland  and  the  District  of  Columbia. 

"  Appointed  First  Lieut.  W.  A.  Nicholls,  2d  artillery, 
a  clever,  intelligent,  and  active  young  officer,  my  aid. 

"  25th.  Maj.  Gen.  Butler  and  staff  arrived. 

"  20th.  Gen.  Worth,  with  his  division,  crossed  the  river 
en  route  for  Seralvo.  Gen.  Twiggs  is  to  march  next. 
Gen.  Taylor  informs  me  that  he  will  follow  with  4000 
volunteers.  It  is  hinted  that  Gen.  Patterson,  should  he 
arrive  in  time,  will  be  left  in  command  here,  and  Butler, 
with  two  brigades,  accompany  Gen.  Taylor. 

"  Any  arrangement  which  garrisons  a  considerable 
number  of  volunteers  on  the  left  bank  will  produce  dis 
content.  We  came  for  action,  and  must  have  it." 

Gen.  Taylor  decided  to  move  toward  Monterey  with 
only  2000  volunteers,  and  selected  the  1st  Kentucky, 
Ohio,  Tennessee,  and  Mississippi  regiments.  They  were 
formed  into  a  field  division  under  Maj.  Gen.  Butler ;  one 
brigade,  the  two  first-named  regiments,  under  Gen.  Ha- 
mer,  the  other  two  led  by  Gen.  Quitman. 


JOIIN   A.  QUmiAN.  241 

To  J.  F.  II.  Claibornc. 

"Camargo,  September  5th,  1846. 

"DEAR  CLAIBOEXE, — I  am  now,  where  you  know  I 
have  long  wished  to  be,  at  the  head  of  a  brigade,  and 
with  the  prospect  of  active  service.  I  wish  you  were 
here.  The  Mississippians  and  Tennesseans  constitute  my 
command.  Maj.  Gen.  Butler  heads  the  division.  Pillow 
will  garrison  this  place.  It  is  a  hard  fate  when  there  is 
a  fight  ahead,  and  I  thank  God  it  did  not  fall  on  me. 
My  health  is  excellent  and  my  spirits  light.  I  know 
what  my  friends  expect  of  me,  and,  if  opportunities  offer, 
they  shall  not  be  disappointed.  A  major  general's  baton, 
fairly  won  on  the  field  of  battle,  or  a  Mexican  grave! 
Our  men  are  chafing  to  be  off,  and  murmur  at '  Old  Zach.' 
He  seems  to  me  to  be  slow,  and  we  all  know  he  will 

fight." 

General  Taylor  was  not  slow ;  on  the  contrary,  he  was 
a  man  of  extraordinary  energy,  as  his  operations  on  the 
northwestern  frontier,  in  Florida,  and  on  the  Rio  Grande 
had  demonstrated  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  countrymen. 
His  embarrassments  were  not  known  to  the  volunteers, 
who,  for  the  most  part,  eager  for  battle  and  for  fame, 
censured  him  for  delay.  He  had  not  transportation  to 
move  his  army  in  mass  from  Camargo,  nor  was  there 
sufficient  forage  in  the  country  to  subsist  his  teams.* 

*  "The  administration  did  not  appreciate  the  difficulty  of  moving 
troops  in  an  enemy's  country,  and  amid  a,  sparse  and  impoverished 
population.  *  *  *  It  was  the  duty  of  the  authorities  to  see  that 
the  usual  supplies  and  means  of  transportation  were  sent  with  the 
troops,  leaving  it  simply  to  the  general  in  the  field  to  make  requisitions 
for  unusual  supplies  and  means  of  transportation.  Thus,  while  some 
20,000  volunteers  were  sent  to  the  theatre  of  war,  not  a  wagon  reach 
ed  the  advance  of  General  Taylor  till  after  the  capture  of  Monterey." 
—  Campaigns  of  the  Rio  Grande  and  Mexico,  p.  21,  by  J3revct  j\Lijor 
Isaac  L.  Stevens,  since  Governor  of  Washington  Territory,  and  now  its 
in.  Congress. 


From  General  Quitman  to  General  F.  Huston. 

"Camargo,  August  24th,  1S4G. 

"I  am  entirely  out  of  patience  with  the  tardiness  of  every  move 
ment.      The  quarter-master's  department  is  wretchedly  managed. 

VOL,  L-L 


242  LIFE   AND   COKRESPONDENCE    OF 

The  movement  on  Monterey  commenced  on  the  19th  of 
August.  The  regulars,  under  Generals  Worth  and 
Twiggs,  took  possession  of  Seralvo.  Six  thousand  vol 
unteers,  whom  he  would  gladly  have  employed  in  the 
field,  were  left  at  Camargo  and  other  places,  for  want 
of  transportation,  and  with  Butler's  division,  consisting 
of  four  regiments  of  Ohio,  Tennessee,  and  Mississippi 
volunteers,  divided  into  two  brigades  led  by  General 
Hamer  and  General  Quitman,  he  moved  forward  on  the 
Cth  of  September.  On  the  13th  the  army  left  Seralvo 
for  Monterey.  The  march  was  trying,  especially  to  vol 
unteers.  A  sultry  sun,  no  shade,  dusty  roads,  and  great 
scarcity  of  water. 

The  different  columns  united  on  the  Ivio  San  Juan, 
twenty-four  miles  northeast  of  Monterey,  and  on  the  1 8th 
resumed  the  march.  Our  army  consisted  of  Twiggs' 
and  Worth's  divisions  of  regulars,  Butler's  division  of 
volunteers,  a  battalion  of  regular  cavalry,  and  two  regi 
ments  of  volunteer  cavalry,  in  all  0220  men  and  240  of 
ficers.  Of  artillery  we  had  only  four  light  batteries,  one 
battery  of  two  24-pound  howitzers,  one  10-inch  mortar, 
and  a  hundred  shells. 

Monterey,  the  capital  of  New  Leon,  lies  at  the  base  of 
the  Sierra  Madre,  in  a  beautiful  valley  fertilized  by  the 
Rio  San  Juan.  It  stretches  along  this  stream  a  mile  and 
a  quarter,  and  has  an  average  population  of  about  fifteen 
thousand.  The  houses  are  of  stone,  of  solid  Spanish  ma 
sonry,  square,  with  a  court  .in  the  centre,  fiat  tiled  roofs 
with  parapets,  iron-grated  windows,  and  heavy-barred 
doors.  Each  building  is,  in  fact,  a  fortress,  capable  of 
resisting  small-arms.  To  defend  the  city  on  'the  Saltillo 

The  medical  department  worse.  There  are  here  no  horse-shoes  or 
nails,  no  iron  to  make  them  ;  and,  though  we  have  6000  men,  there 
are  no  medicines.  The  twelve-months  troops  are  armed  with  refuse 
muskets,  and  their  knapsacks,  canteens,  haversacks,  and  cartridge- 
boxes  are  unfit  for  service." 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  243 

road,  four  strong  works  had  been  erected,  Fort  Independ 
ence,  the  Obispado,  Fort  Soldado,  and  Fort  Federation. 
On  its  opposite  front  had  been  constructed  a  series  of 
works  so  arranged  as  to  rake  the  approaches  to  any  one 
of  the  series,  and  to  concentrate  the  fire  of  the  whole 
upon  any  one  that  might  be  assailed.  In  the  rear  of  this 
line  of  lunettes  and  redoubts  stood  the  citadel,  a  fortified 
square,  with  bastions,  embrasures,  and  ditches,  mounting 
twelve  guns,  chiefly  18-pounders,  and  capable  of  throw 
ing  their  metal  into  the  redoubts,  so  as  to  render  them 
untenable  if  taken.  In  this  square  stands  a  spacious 
church,  inclosed  by  high  and  strong  walls,  affording  se 
cure  shelter  for  musketry.  On  the  southeast  the  steep 
banks  of  the  San  Juan,  and  gardens,  hedges,  vineyards, 
and  ditches  rendered  approach  difficult,  and  it  was  cov 
ered  likewise  by  a  heavy  battery  at  the  bridge  of  La 
Purissima.  Behind  these  formidable  defenses,  the  streets 
of  the  city  were  barricaded  and  defended  by  artillery, 
and  at  every  angle  a  cannon  was  mounted  for  flank  fir 
ing.  The  parapets  running  round  and  above  the  houses 
had  been  loopholed  for  musketry,  affording  protection  to 
the  inhabitants  while  they  poured  a  destructive  fire  on 
the  assailants.  The  defenses,  generally,  were  so  masked 
by  chapparal,  vineyards,  and  innumerable  ditches  cut  for 
irrigation,  as  to  render  thorough  reconnoissances,  under 
the  circumstances,  impracticable. 

The  force  assembled  by  Gen.  Ampudia  to  defend  the 
city  consisted  of  7000  regulars,  embracing  some  of  the 
veteran  troops  of  Mexico,  and  1500  rancheros,  besides 
many  citizens  armed  with  muskets,  and  who  knew  how 
to  fight  behind  barricades  and  castellated  roofs.  He  had 
with  him  five  or  six  generals  of  distinction. 

Gen.  Taylor  pitched  his  camp  at  the  Walnut  Spring, 
in  the  wood  of  San  Domingo,  three  miles  from  Monte 
rey.  On  the  morning  of  the  18th  he  approached  with 


244  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE    OP 

his  advanced  guard  within  1500  yards,  but  was  com 
pelled  to  fall  back  by  a  heavy  fire  of  cannon.  The  re 
port  of  these  guns  was  received  with  cheers  by  the  vol 
unteers.  They  believed  that  the  hour  of  battle  had 
come,  and  in  a  few  moments  the  column  was  in  close 
order,  and  ready  for  the  assault.  Even  the  invalids  of 
Quitman's  brigade  sprung  from  the  wagons,  seized  their 
arms,  and  filed  in  with  their  comrades.  Such  was  the 
ardor  of  men  who  had  never  been  in  battle,  and  who 
only  served  for  honor  and  the  glory  of  their  country  ! 

Gen.  Quitman,  sharing  the  enthusiasm  of  his  troops, 
addressed  them  as  follows : 

"  Volunteers,  we  are  now  in  the  vicinity  of  the  enemy, 
and  may,  in  an  hour,  be  called  to  encounter  them  in  bat 
tle.  Your  spirit  inspires  me.  I  know  your  metal,  your 
impetuosity,  and  your  recklessness  of  danger.  There  is 
no  coward  in  my  command.  I  shall  never  have  to  urge 
you  on,  but  I  must  impress  on  you  the  necessity  of  pre 
serving  your  ranks  under  all  circumstances.  Repress 
your  personal  impetuosity.  Confide  in  your  officers,  and 
preserve  your  discipline  in  the  excitement  of  the  conflict. 
The  eyes  of  the  veteran  officers  of  the  army  and  the  whole 
of  the  regulars  will  be  fixed  upon  you.  They  know  your 
gallantry,  but  they  doubt  your  coolness.  Prove  to  them, 
to  your  country,  and  to  the  world,  that  American  volun 
teers  are  as  admirable  for  their  discipline  and  self-restraint 
as  for  their  courage." 

On  the  20th,  Worth,  with  his  division  and  Hay's 
Texas  regiment  of  mounted  rifles,  took  position  before 
the  strong  fortifications  southwest  of  the  town.  On  the 
21st,  Henderson's  regiment  of  eastern  Texans  and  May's 
battalion  of  dragoons  were  directed  to  re-enforce  him. 
To  divert  the  attention  of  the  enemy  from  that  quarter, 
Lt.  Col.  Garland,  with  the  3d  infantry,  and  the  1st  in 
fantry,  Lt.  Col.  Watson,  making  600  bayonets,  were  or 
dered  to  make  a  demonstration  on  the  eastern  approach 
to  the  town.  Major  Mansfield,  the  chief  engineer,  sup- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  245 

ported  by  Lieut.  TIazlett  and  a  company  of  inffintry,  was 
making  a  bold  reconnoissance  in  advance.  Capt.  Field, 
of  the  3d,  was  soon  after  pushed  forward  to  his  assist 
ance.  Mansfield  perceived  the  exigencies  of  his  situa 
tion,  and  requested  Garland  to  advance  with  his  whole 
command  within  supporting  distance.  As  he  was  mov 
ing  forward,  he  received  a  message  from  the  same  source 
to  advance  in  line  of  battle.  He  encountered  a  terrible 
lire  in  front  from  the  masked  batteries,  and  an  enfilading 
fire  from  the  citadel.  Moving  rapidly  to  pass  this  or 
deal,  he  came  within  the  deadly  range  of  their  musketry. 
At  this  juncture  Major  Mansfield  indicated  a  movement 
to  the  right,  to  enable  Garland  to  obtain  a  footing  with 
in  the  town,  and  in  rear  of  the  redoubts.  The  movement 
was  unfortunate.  He  found  himself  entangled  in  short 
and  narrow  streets,  where  he  was  exposed  to  a  triangu 
lar  and  destructive  fire,  without  being  able  to  manoeuvre 
to  advantage,  or  to  charge  the  enemy.  At  this  moment 
Capt.  Bragg  galloped  up  with  his  light  battery  and  ask 
ed  for  orders.  He  placed  a  gun  forthwith  in  position  to 
rake  the  street,  but  it  being  perceived,  after  several  dis 
charges,  that  his  fire  was  ineffectual  against  the  barri 
cades  and  the  heavier  metal  of  the  Mexicans,  and  his 
men  and  horses  being  severely  cut  up,  he  was  directed 
to  retire.  By  this  time  Lt.  Col.  Watson,  Major  Mans 
field,  Major  Lear,  Major  Barbour,  Major  Abcrcrombie, 
and  many  other  officers  had  fallen,  and  Garland  sullenly 
fell  back,  in  good  order,  but  pursued  by  the  lancers, 
who  cut  off  a  few  stragglers. 

While  this  slaughter  was  going  on  General  Taylor  or 
dered  the  4th  infantry  to  the  support  of  Garland.  Three 
companies  of  the  4th  assailed  Fort  Tencria,  but  nearly 
all  the  officers  and  a  third  of  the  men  were  mowed  down 
by  the  first  discharge  from  its  batteries.  Captains  Back 
us  and  Lamottc,  however,  had  fortunately,  just  before, 


246  LIFE   AXD    COKKESPOXDEXCE   OF 

secured  a  sheltered  position  in  a  tan-yard,  which  enabled 
them  to  ply  their  musketry  with  some  effect  behind  the 
works  of  the  fort.  This  was  the  only  advantage  thus 
far  that  we  had  gained.  Garland,  being  joined  by  the 
remnant  of  the  4th,  was  ordered  to  storm  the  second  re 
doubt.  In  attempting  to  execute  this  order,  with  not 
more  than  half  his  original  force,  he  penetrated  the  town, 
forced  several  barricades,  and  moved  forward,  raked  by 
artillery  and  small-arms,  until  he  considered  himself  suf 
ficiently  advanced  to  enter  the  rear  of  the  redoubt. 
Here  he  suddenly  encountered  a  masked  battery,  and 
the  guns  of  La  Purissima,  and  on  the  opposite  side  two 
heavy  guns  were  opened  upon  him.  Here  Captain  Mor 
ris,  in  command  of  the  3d  infantry,  fell.  Lieutenant  Haz- 
lett  sprang  forward  to  place  him  under  shelter,  and  was 
shot  down,  mortally  wounded.  Thus  exposed  to  a  mur 
derous  fire  from  masked  batteries  and  barricades — from 
garden  walls  and  terraces — with  no  knowledge  whatever 
of  the  localities  or  of  his  position,  most  of  the  officers 
down,  his  brave  men  lying  in  masses  around,  dead  or 
wounded,  this  heroic  leader  and  his  Spartan  band  were 
compelled  once  more  to  fall  back. 

During  this  desperate  and  disastrous  affair — the  result 
of  a  formidable  and  well-served  artillery  on  one  side, 
and  imperfect  knowledge  of  localities  on  the  other — But 
ler's  division  had  been  drawn  up  about  a  mile  from  the 
city,  partially  screened  from  the  guns  of  the  citadel  by  a, 
slight  elevation  of  the  intervening  plain.  Leaving  the 
Kentucky  regiment  to  guard  the  camp,  General  Butler 
was  ordered  to  advance  with  the  Ohio  troops  to  support 
Garland.  Quitman's  brigade,  which  had  been  chafing  in 
the  line,  was  put  in  motion  at  the  same  moment. 

The  defenses  on  the  eastern  side  of  Monterey,  it  will 
be  remembered,  consisted  of  a  series  of  lunettes,  on  the 
extreme  right  of  which,  flanked  by  the  River  San  Juan, 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  247 

was  Fort  TENEEIA,  mounting  six  heavy  pieces,  and  on 
the  extreme  left,  commanding  the  plain,  was  the  citadel, 
or  Black  Fort.  Between  these,  on  a  concave  line,  were 
Forts  Diablo  and  Rincon,  and  a  tete  du  pont  of  great 
strength  at  the  bridge  La  Purissima.  These  works  were 
so  constructed  as  to  support  each  other  by  flank  and  an 
gular  firing,  and  from  them,  as  we  have  seen,  Garland 
had  suffered  severely.  Butler,  pursuing  the  instructions 
of  the  commander-in-chief,  felt  his  way  gradually,  with 
little  knowledge  of  the  ground,  into  the  suburbs,  near 
the  lines  of  batteries.  He  encountered  a  heavy  fire  in 
front  and  flank.  While  struggling  forward  he  fell  in 
with  Major  Mansfield,  who  informed  him  of  Garland's 
failure,  and  that  an  onward  movement  in  that  direction 
would  be  impracticable.  This  was  communicated  to 
General  Taylor,  who  directed  him  to  fall  back.  About 
the  same  time  he  learned  that  Quitman's  brigade  had 
stormed  Fort  Teneria  and  the  contiguous  redoubt.  This 
determined  Butler  to  make  an  effort  to  storm  Fort  Di 
ablo.  Advancing  boldly  through  a  terrible  fire,  a  severe 
wound  compelled  him  to  withdraw.  Almost  at  the  same 
moment  Colonel  Mitchell,  who  succeeded  him,  his  adju 
tant,  and  other  officers,  were  struck  down.  The  men 
were  falling  fast  under  the  converging  fire  of  three  bat 
teries  and  the  incessant  discharge  of  musketry,  and  re 
luctantly  this  gallant  regiment  followed  their  wounded 
officers  from  the  field. 

QUITMAN'S  MAECH. 

Sept.  21st,  184G.  Gen.  Quitman,  avoiding  the  track  of 
Garland  and  Butler,  inclined  his  command  to  the  left, 
moving  by  a  flank  upon  Fort  Teneria.*  They  were  ex 
posed  to  a  terrific  fire  of  grape  and  round  shot.  The 

*  So  written  in  most  of  the  official  reports.  The  proper  name  is 
El  Tort  in  tie  la  Tanniere. 


248  LIFE    AND    COEEESPOXDENCE    OF 

dense  smoke  clouded  the  light  of  day,  and  only  the  dark 
outline  of  the  city  was  visible  by  the  flash  of  musketry 
and  the  bright  line  of  flame,  like  the  red  lips  of  a  volcano, 
that  denoted  the  different  batteries.  They  faced  the  in 
fernal  storm  with  the  steadiness  of  veterans.  A  round 
shot,  raking  the  Tennessee  regiment,  cut  down  seven 
men,  but  did  not  check  their  advance  an  instant.  The 
firing  of  small-arms  had  ceased,  and  when  the  brigade 
halted  before  the  fort  and  fronted  it,  a  small  party,  in  the 
undress  of  United  States  regulars,  was  seen  standing  in 
a  position  that  masked  the  right  companies  of  the  Mis 
sissippi  regiment.  A  movement  of  the  Tennesseans  hav 
ing  created  an  interval  on  the  left  of  the  Mississippi  regi 
ment,  Col.  Davis  promptly  occupied  it,  thus  executing  a 
movement  which  gained  to  the  front  and  left,  and  gave 
him  precedence  in  the  attack.  When  his  regiment  was 
re-formed  into  line  the  party  of  regulars  had  disappeared. 
The  attacking  force  now  consisted  exclusively  of  the 
Tennessee  and  Mississippi  regiments,  the  latter  on  the 
right  and  directly  in  front  of  the  fort.  A  deep  and  wklo 
embrasure,  which  seems  to  have  been  intended  as  a 
sally-port,  stood  immediately  before  the  fifth  Mississippi 
company,  numbering  from  the  right.  The  gun  belong 
ing  to  this  embrasure  had  been  run  behind  the  parapet. 
The  Mississippiaus  commenced  firing  as  they  advanced, 
the  men  having  been  directed  specially  to  select  their 
objects  and  fire  as  sharp-shooters.  In  ten  minutes,  so 
fatal  was  their  aim,  most  of  the  Mexican  gunners  had 
fallen  by  their  pieces,  and  the  order  to  charge  was  given. 
Lieut.  Col.  M'Clung,  placing  himself  at  the  head  of  the 
company  in  front  of  the  embrasure,  led  it  at  full  speed, 
the  flank  companies  converging  to  this  central  point  of 
approach,  which  was  a  smooth  field  from  which  the  corn 
had  been  recently  cut.  The  martial  form  of  M'Clung, 
swinging  his  sword  above  his  head  and  hoarsely  shout- 


JOHN  A.  QUITMAN.  249 

ing  to  his  men,  towered  upon  the  parapet.  Col.  Davis 
and  Lieut.  Patterson,  closely  followed  by  other  gallant 
spirits,  leaped  into  the  embrasure,  while  the  flash  of  the 
last  Mexican  gun  enveloped  them  in  its  lurid  light. 
Kear  them,  in  the  clash  and  clangor  of  the  charge,  Gen. 
Quitman  and  Maj.  Bradford  were  seen  cheering  on  their 
men.  Bradford  had  but  one  word,  and  it  was  heard 
above  the  tumult  of  the  battle:  "  Charge!  charger  and 
he  suited  "  the  action  to  the  word."  Quitman's  horse 
was  shot  under  him;  but  the  gallant  Lieut.  Mcholls 
promptly  furnished  him  with  his  own,  and,  dashing  up 
to  the  ditch,  he  dismounted  and  rushed  with  his  men 
into  the  works.  The  Mexicans,  who  had  stood  manfully 
to  their  guns  until  most  of  the  artillerists  had  been  cut 
down,  appalled  by  this  headlong  charge,  and  seeing  the 
Tenuesseans  breaking  over  on  their  left,  now  fled  through 
the  sally-port  at  the  other  extremity  of  the  works.  The 
impetuous  Mississippians  pursued  them  to  a  fortified  stone 
structure  in  rear  of  Teneria,  and  drove  them  thence  across 
the  stream,  under  the  shelter  of  Fort  El  Diablo. 

"While  this  desperate  charge  was  being  made,  the  Ten 
nessee  regiment,  on  the  left,  by  a  flank  movement,  had 
advanced  upon  the  fort  with  the  characteristic  valor 
of  their  race.  The  sons  of  those  who  fought  at  King's 

O  O 

Mountain,  Emuckfau,  Talladega,  and  the  plains  of  Chal- 
mette,  proved  worthy  of  their  sires,  and  won  new  lau 
rels  in  this  desperate  enterprise.  With  this  brilliant 
event  closed  the  operations  of  the  day.  All  had  fought 
gallantly.  The  regulars  had  stood  immovable  as  statues 
under  a  galling  fire,  and  faced  death  without  emotion 
when  ordered  to  advance ;  but  the  only  advantage  thus 
far,  on  the  eastern  approach,  had  been  won  by  Quitman's 
brigade. 

On  the  22d,  Quitman,  with  Ridgeley's  battery,  was  or 
dered  to  hold  the  works  he  had  stormed  on  the  preced- 

L  2 


250  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

ing  day.  The  position  was  uncomfortable :  they  were 
exposed  to  an  incessant  cannonade,  and  the  corpses  of  the 
slaughtered  Mexicans  had  become  offensive ;  the  weath 
er  was  wet  and  cold ;  they  had  neither  blankets  nor  fire. 
The  general  shared  the  fare  of  his  troops,  and  establish 
ed  his  quarters  on  one  of  Ividgeley's  guns.  It  was  here 
his  faithful  servant  Harry,  who  had  followed  the  assault 
ing  column,  was  heard  remonstrating  with  his  master, 
and  imploring  him,  "for  the  sake  of  mistress  and  the 
children,"  not  to  expose  himself  so  much.  "  Take  care 
of  yourself,  Harry,"  said  the  general.  "  Help  the  wound 
ed  ;  keep  as  near  me  as  you  can.  I  must  push  on  with 
the  foremost  and  trust  to  Providence." 

Before  day,  on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  the  conflict 
was  renewed.  Gen.  Quitman,  availing  himself  of  discre 
tionary  orders,  boldly  advanced  into  the  city.  Col.  Da 
vis  led  the  way.  From  every  dwelling  a  heavy  fire  was 
directed  against  them.  These  houses  were  filled  with 
musketeers.  The  streets  were  strongly  barricaded,  and 
the  garden  walls,  parapets,  and  barricades  were  all  cre- 
nelled  for  small-arms.  Ditches  and  canals  added  to  the 
difficulties  of  the  advance.  Yet  from  house  to  house, 
from  barricade  to  barricade,  the  volunteers  fought  their 
way  into  the  plaza.  It  was  a  succession  of  assaults  ob 
stinately  resisted  and  bravely  carried  with  clubbed  rifles 
and  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  The  bloody  conflict 
lasted  from  8  A.M.  until  4  P.M.  It  may  justly  be  re 
garded  as  one  of  the  boldest  movements  in  the  history 
of  war,  and  quite  as  brilliant  as  the  famous  attack  on  Se- 
ringapatam,  which  gained  for  Cornwallis  great  military 
fame,  a  marquisate,  and  a  splendid  pension.  There  are 
some  striking  analogies  in  these  great  engagements.  Se- 
ringapatam  was  defended  by  bridges,  and  ditches,  and 
two  lines  of  redoubts,  by  the  renowned  Tippoo,  with  a 
numerous  army  and  an  enormous  amount  of  cannon. 


JOHN   A.  QUIT-MAN.  251 

Without  artillery,  and  with  only  9000  men,  Cornwallis, 
wisely  deciding  on  a  night  attack — one  of  the  few  in 
stances  where  they  are  to  be  commended — assailed  his 
lines  and  stormed  them  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 
"With  less  than  500  men — without  artillery — the  largest 
portion  of  his  command  without  bayonets — with  young 
and  inexperienced  troops — with  the  discomfiture  of  the 
regulars  on  the  previous  day  to  repress  their  ardor — 
without  even  being  sure  of  the  approbation  of  the  com- 
mander-in-chief,  Quitman  entered  a  strongly-fortified  city, 
defended  by  6000  troops,  and  an  infuriated  populace  fir 
ing  from  their  roofs  and  windows,  and  fought  Ms  way, 
inch  by  inch,  to  the  central  square  of  the  city.  During 
the  engagement,  he  was  re-enforced  by  the  2d  Texan 
regiment  and  Bragg's  light  battery,  who  share  the  glory 
of  the  achievement.  Many  brave  men  fell.  Gen.  Quit 
man  narrowly  escaped.  His  horse  was  wounded.  The 
rim  of  his  hat  was  torn  off.  The  roof  that  he  occupied 
temporarily  was  riddled  with  balls,  and  he  received  a 
contusion  from  the  fragment  of  a  shell.* 

On  the  western  suburb  Gen.  Worth  had  carried,  by  a 
series  of  masterly  operations,  the  fortifications  of  the  en 
emy.  He  had  penetrated  the  city,  and  was  advancing  to 
co-operate  with  Quitman,  when  he  received  an  order 
from  head-quarters  to  halt.  Gen.  Taylor,  it  appears, 
contemplated  a  combined  attack  with  his  whole  force 
next  day,  but  early  on  the  morning  of  the  24th  he  re 
ceived  a  flag,  with  proposals  for  an  interview,  from  the 
Mexican  general. 

Thus  terminated  three  days'  hard  fighting,  against 
great  odds,  and  under  many  disadvantages.  The  for 
tifications  of  the  enemy,  constructed  with  much  skill, 
mounted  forty-two  guns  served  by  practiced  artiller 
ists.  Six  thousand  regulars,  and  two  thousand  irregular 

*  For  further  details  of  the  battle  of  Monterey,  see  Appendix. 


252  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

troops,  commanded  by  experienced  officers,  defended  the 
city.  Every  dwelling  and  street  had  been  converted  into 
a  fortress  or  a  battery. 

Our  force  consisted  of  6220  men  and  425  officers,  many 
of  them  volunteers  only  partially  drilled,  and  who  had 
never  been  under  fire.  Our  guns  were  merely  light  field- 
pieces,  incapable  of  silencing  the  heavy  metal  of  the  ene 
my,  or  of  making  any  impression  on  their  defenses.  The 
only  mortar  in  our  hands,  from  some  gross  neglect,  was 
almost  unavailable.  To  attack  the  city,  the  American 
troops  had  to  advance,  a  mile  or  more,  across  an  open 
plain,  exposed  to  a  destructive  fire  in  front  and  flank, 
from  the  whole  series  of  redoubts  and  masked  batteries. 
The  most  serious  disadvantage,  however,  was  the  want 
of  exact  information  of  the  defenses  of  the  enemy,  and 
the  location  of  his  w^orks,  and  therefore  it  seems  to  have 
been  more  an  impromptu  fight,  arising  from  contingen 
cies,  than  a  concerted  plan  of  battle.  Gen.  "Worth  ap 
pears  to  have  exercised  a  quasi-independent  command 
from  the  afternoon  of  the  21st  until  the  reception  of  the 
flag  of  truce.  The  main  portion  of  the  army  remained 
supine,  until  Worth  recommended  a  demonstration  on 
th.e  eastern  works  of  the  city.  Then  commenced  Gar 
land's  unfortunate  enterprise,  in  which,  without  any  pos 
itive  orders  what  to  do  or  where  to  go,  and  knowing 
nothing  of  the  localities,  he  followed  the  extemporaneous 
signals  of  Major  Mansfield,  who  was  making  an  abortive 
reconnoissance  at  the  hazard  of  his  life.  Henderson,  with 
his  mounted  regiment  of  Texans,  and  May,  with  his  dra 
goons,  had  been  dispatched  to  re-enforce  Worth,  but, 
finding  it  impracticable,  had  returned.  Nothing  was 
known  at  head-quarters  of  what  Worth  was  doing, 
though  they  were  only  five  miles  apart.  The  operations 
on  the  east  seem  to  have  been  experimental,  and,  to 
some  degree,  spontaneous.  It  is  yet  a  question  whether 


JOHN    A.    QUmiAN.  253 

Quitman  had  orders  to  assault  Fort  Teneria ;  and  it  is 
still  more  doubtful  whether  he  was  ordered  to  advance 
into  the  city  on  the  23d.  The  truth  seems  to  be,  that 
he  had  a  discretionary  order  from  Gen.  Taylor,  to  act 
and  fight  according  to  the  exigencies  of  the  moment. 
He  assumed  the  responsibility,  and  won  the  victory.* 

Some  military  writers  condemn  the  arrangements  of 
General  Taylor.  These  criticisms  are  stated  with  force 
and  precision  in  Ripley's  "  War  with  Mexico,"  a  work 
of  much  ability,  from  the  pen  of  an  eye-witness  and  actor 
in  the  war,  but  certainly  tinctured  with  partiality  and 
prejudice. 

The  American  general  was  a  man  of  iron  nerve.  lie 
was  headstrong  and  obstinate.  He  knew  little  of  fear, 
and  was  not  easily  discouraged.  Against  the  opinion  of 
a  large  majority  of  his  oldest  and  "most  distinguished  of 
ficers,  after  the  battle  of  Palo  Alto,  he  advanced  and 
won  the  brilliant  victory  of  Resaca  de  la  Palma  against 
odds  so  great  that,  if  it  had  been  lost,  he  would  have 
been  recalled,  if  not  degraded,  as  too  rash  for  command. 
Not  disheartened  by  the  inefficiency  of  the  quarter-mas 
ter's  department  or  the  cool  civility  of  the  secretary  of 
Avar,  he  had  advanced  upon  Monterey  with  an  inade 
quate  force,  and  without  transportation,  hospital  stores, 
artillery,  or  intrenching  implements.  He  confided  more 
in  the  bayonet  and  in  his  rifles,  and  in  his  own  capacity 
for  desperate  expedients  in  cases  of  emergency,  than  on 

*  It  would  be  an  amusing  study  to  trace  the  ambiguities  and  un 
certainties  that  hang  over  grave  military  events  that  have  decided  bat 
tles,  campaigns,  and  even  the  fate  of  empires.  All  wars  furnish  some 
of  these  examples.  An  error  of  this  nature  led  to  the  quarrel  on  the 
field  between  Washington  and  Lee.  And  notwithstanding  months  of 
Parliamentary  discussion,  and  the  scrutiny  of  a  court  of  inquiry,  it  was 
never  determined  whether  Burgoyne  was  responsible  for  the  advance 
upon  Albany  which  resulted  in  his  defeat  and  surrender  at  Saratoga. 
A  similar  doubt  hangs  over  the  expedition  to  IJennington.  The  war 
with  Mexico  supplies  a  number  of  instances,  by  no  means  settled  by 
the  court  of  inquiry  at  Frederick. 


254  LIFE   AND   COEKESPONDENCE    OP 

the  support  of  the  government  or  the  rules  and  axioms 
of  war.  Of  these  he  had  only  a  limited  knowledge,  hav 
ing  been  trained  exclusively  on  the  frontier.  But  he 
had  a  military  eye  and  brain,  perfect  composure  in  mo 
ments  of  peril,  a  knowledge  of  men,  and  the  faculty  of 
commanding  obedience  and  confidence.  He  was  known 
to  be  as  firm  as  brave,  and  his  presence  never  failed  to 
inspire  his  troops.  Indiana,  Florida,  and  Mexico  bear 
monuments  of  his  genius  which  defy  criticism,  and  are 
independent  of  praise.  His  military  instincts  have  the 
stamp  of  intuition.  The  Duke  of  Wellington  closely 
studied  and  applauded  his  campaign,  and  impartial  his 
tory  will  class  the  conqueror  of  the  Rio  Grande  as  one 
of  the  most  successful  soldiers  of  the  age.  No  city  in 
Europe,  in  the  wars  of  Napoleon  or  Wellington,  or  at 
any  other  period,  so  strongly  fortified  by  nature  and  art, 
so  well  defended,  with  such  a  preponderance  of  men  and 
of  artillery,  was  ever  carried  in  so  short  a  time.  It  was 
a  battle  of  force  and  not  of  strategy,  and  as  such  may 
challenge  comparison  and  criticism.  Wellington's  sieges 
in  India  and  in  the  Peninsula,  from  the  time  they  con 
sumed,  are  considered  as  failures;  the  great  Hannibal 
lay  eight  months  before  Saguntum ;  Monterey  fell,  lit 
erally  by  the  sword,  the  bayonet,  and  the  axe,  in  three 
days.  Its  defenders  fought,  as  men  of  the  Spanish  race 
always  fight,  obstinately  behind  their  solid  defenses ; 
and  a  less  determined  general,  and  troops  less  enthusi 
astic  and  impetuous,  must  have  been  defeated.  But  the 
composition  of  our  army — the  spirit  of  emulation  be 
tween  the  regulars  and  volunteers,  the  presentiment  of 
promotion  in  the  line  and  of  political  distinctions  at 
home,  and  the  prevalent  belief  that  the  war  was  for  the 
glory  and  the  extension  of  the  republic — rendered  our 
arms  irresistible. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  as  has  been  stated, 


JOHN  A.  QUITMAN".  255 

General  Ampudia  proposed  to  evacuate  the  city  upon 
conditions.  In  an  interview  with  General  Taylor,  he  de 
clared  that  he  had  official  information  that  the  two  gov 
ernments  were  about  to  conclude  peace,  and  that  to  pro 
long  hostilities  would  be  inhuman.  A  joint  commission 
to  arrange  the  terms  of  the  capitulation  was  appointed, 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  25th  the  Mexican  army  march 
ed  from  the  citadel,  and  on  the  28th  AYorth's  division 
took  possession. 

The  propriety  and  terms  of  this  capitulation  have  been 
quite  as  much  canvassed  as  the  famous  convention  of 
Cintra.  Junot,  a  marshal  of  France,  trained  by  Xapo- 
leon,  and  representing  the  imperial  power  in  Portugal 
(who,  only  six  months  before,  in  contempt  of  a  British 
fleet,  of  14,000  Portuguese  troops,  and  a  hostile  popula 
tion  of  300,000,  had  seized  Lisbon  with  a  few  hundred 
grenadiers,  the  vanguard  of  his  army),  after  the  battle 
of  Yimiero  demanded  an  armistice  (although  he  had 
25,000  veteran  troops,  and  abundant  armaments,  and  nu 
merous  fortresses)  from  a  British  army  inferior  to  his 
own,  and  almost  destitute  of  transportation !  The  em 
peror  was  about  to  send  him  before  a  council  of  war, 
which  probably  would  have  ordered  him  to  be  shot, 
when  he  learned  that  the  British  generals,  Sir  Hew  Dal- 
rymple,  Sir  Harry  Burrard,  and  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley 
(Wellington),  had  already  been  arraigned  for  consenting 
to  the  convention.  Two  of  these  never  recovered  the 
confidence  of  the  British  people,  and  the  latter  was  with 
difficulty  sustained  by  the  influence  of  his  aristocratic 
connections,  until,  invested  with  the  sole  command,  he 
immortalized  himself  in  the  subsequent  campaign. 

The  administration  did  not  approve  the  capitulation 
of  Monterey,  although  it  had  been  consented  to  by  Gen. 
Taylor  in  consonance  with  the  views  and  policy  of  the 
President,  who  pertinaciously  and  prudishly  disclaimed 


256  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDENCE    OF 

the  imputation  of  "  a  war  for  conquest."  Negotiation 
was  by  no  means  the  weakness  of  the  American  general. 
On  the  contrary,  he  was  impatient  of  delay,  knew  little 
of  policy,  and  preferred  the  arbitrament  of  the  bayonet. 
This  propensity  for  "  fight"  was  one  of  his  characteris 
tics.  He  had  exhibited  it  in  every  exigency  of  his  career, 
and,  if  Mr.  Webster  is  correct,  it  was  with  difficulty  re 
strained  during  his  brief  occupancy  of  the  executive 
chair,  when  he  was  disposed  to  exert  the  military  power 
of  the  United  States  to  sustain  the  federal  jurisdiction 
over  New  Mexico,  upon  territory  claimed  by  the  sover 
eign  State  of  Texas,  and  upon  a  title  easily  maintained, 
and  which  her  sister  states  of  the  South  would  have  join 
ed  her  in  maintaining,  had  she  not  ignobly,  and  to  the 
surprise  of  all  parties,  surrendered  her  rights. 

The  capitulation  was  consented  to,  on  the  part  of  the 
victorious  general,  to  support  the  views  and  policy  of  his 
government.  But  he  found  himself  attacked  in  many 
quarters,  and  chiefly  by  the  organs  of  the  administration, 
whose  policy  with  regard  to  Mexico  he  had  endeavored 
to  subserve.  Ours  is,  emphatically,  a  military  nation. 
We  have  the  Norman  thirst  for  territory.  The  victories 
of  Taylor  had  aroused  the  appetite  for  glory  and  for  ac 
quisition.  "  Onward"  was  the  word.  The  armistice  of 
Monterey  was,  therefore,  repugnant  to  the  million,  and 
the  hero  of  the  battle  found  himself  about  to  be  made, 
by  jealous  politicians  who  dreaded  his  rising  popularity, 
the  victim  of  the  capitulation.  Stung  by  this  ingrati 
tude,  the  veteran  soldier  addressed  a  letter  to  Maj.Gen. 
Gaines.  It  first  appeared  in  the  New  York  Express. 
In  justice  to  the  illustrious  dead,  and  for  its  historical 
interest,  a  portion  of  it  is  here  inserted. 

"Monterey,  Nov.  9th,  184G. 

"  I  do  not  believe  the  authorities  at  Washington  are 
at  all  satisfied  with  my  conduct  in  regard  to  the  terms 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  257 

of  the  capitulation  entered  into  with  the  Mexican  com 
mander,  which  you  no  doubt  have  seen,  as  they  have 
been  made  public  through  the  official  organ,  and  copied 
into  various  other  newspapers.  I  have  this  moment  re 
ceived  an  answer  (to  my  dispatch  announcing  the  sur 
render  of  Monterey,  and  the  circumstances  attending  the 
same)  from  the  secretary  of  war,  stating  that  4it  was 
regretted  by  the  President  that  it  was  not  deemed  ad 
visable  to  insist  on  the  terms  I  had  proposed  in  my  first 
communication  to  the  Mexican  commander  in  regard 
to  giving  up  the  city,'  adding  that  '  the  circumstances 
which  dictated,  no  doubt  justified,  the  change.'  Al 
though  the  terms  of  capitulation  may  be  considered  too 
liberal  on  our  part  by  the  President  and  his  advisers,  as 
well  as  by  many  others  at  a  distance,  particularly  by 
those  who  do  not  understand  the  position  which  we  oc 
cupied  (otherwise  they  might  come  to  a  different  conclu 
sion  in  regard  to  the  matter),  yet,  on  due  reflection,  I  see 
nothing  to  induce  me  to  regret  the  course  I  pursued. 
The  proposition  on  the  part  of  General  Ampudia,  which 
had  much  to  do  in  determining  my  course  in  the  matter, 
was  based  on  the  ground  that  our  government  had  pro 
posed  to  his  to  settle  the  existing  difficulties  by  negotia 
tion  (which  I  knew  was  the  case  without  knowing  the 
result),  which  was  then  under  consideration  by  the  prop 
er  authorities,  and  which  he  (General  Ampudia)  had  no 
doubt  would  result  favorably,  as  the  whole  of  his  people 
were  in  favor  of  peace.  If  so,  I  considered  the  further 
effusion  of  blood  not  only  unnecessary  but  improper. 
Their  force  was  also  considerably  larger  than  ours,  and, 
from  the  size  and  position  of  the  place,  we  could  not 
completely  invest  it ;  so  that  the  greater  portion  of  their 
troops,  if  not  the  whole,  had  they  been  disposed  to  do 
so,  could  any  night  have  abandoned  the  city,  at  once  en 
tered  the  mountain  passes,  and  effected  their  retreat,  do 
what  we  could.  Had  we  been  put  to  the  alternative  of 
taking  the  place  by  storm  (which  there  is  no  doubt  wre 
should  have  succeeded  in  doing),  we  should  in  all  proba 
bility  have  lost  fifty  or  a  hundred  men  in  killed,  besides 
the  wounded,  which  I  wished  to  avoid,  as  there  appear 
ed  to  be  a  prospect  of  peace,  even  if  a  distant  one.  I 
also  wished  to  avoid  the  destruction  of  women  and  chil- 


258  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

dren,  which  must  have  been  very  great  had  the  storm 
ing  process  been  resorted  to.  Besides,  they  had  a  very 
large  and  strong  fortification  a  short  distance  from  the 
city,  which,  if  carried  with  the  bayonet,  must  have  been 
taken  at  great  sacrifice  of  life,  and,  with  our  limited  train 
of  heavy  or  battering  artillery,  it  would  have  required 
twenty  or  twenty-five  days  to  take  it  by  regular  ap 
proaches. 

That  they  should  have  surrendered  a  place  nearly  as 
strong  as  Quebec,  well  fortified  under  the  direction  of 
skillful  engineers — their  works  garnished  with  forty-two 
pieces  of  artillery,  abundantly  supplied  with  ammunition, 
garrisoned  by  7000  regular  and  2000  irregular  troops, 
in  addition  to  some  thousand  citizens  capable  of  (and  no 
doubt  actually)  bearing  arms,  and  aiding  in  its  defense — 
to  an  opposing  force  of  half  their  number,  scantily  sup 
plied  with  provisions,  and  with  a  light  train  of  artillery, 
is  among  the  unaccountable  occurrences  of  the  times. 

I  am  decidedly  opposed  to  carrying  the  war  beyond 
Saltillo  in  this  direction,  which  place  has  been  entirely 
abandoned  by  the  Mexican  forces,  all  of  whom  have  been 
concentrated  at  San  Luis  Potosi ;  and  I  shall  lose  no 
time  in  taking  possession  of  the  former  as  soon  as  the 
cessation  of  hostilities  referred  to  expires,  which  I  have 
notified  the  Mexican  authorities  will  be  the  case  on  the 
13th  instant,  by  direction  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States. 

"  If  we  are  (in  the  language  of  Mr.  Polk  and  General 
Scott)  under  the  necessity  of  '  conquering  a  peace,'  and 
that  by  taking  the  capital  of  the  country,  we  must  go  to 
Vera  Cruz,  take  that  place,  and  then  march  on  to  the  city 
of  Mexico.  To  do  so  in  any  other  direction  I  consider 
out  of  the  question.  But,  admitting  that  we  conquer  a 
peace  by  doing  so — say  at  the  end  of  the  next  twelve 
months — will  the  amount  of  blood  and  treasure  which 
must  be  expended  in  doing  so  be  compensated  by  the 
same  ?  I  think  not,  especially  if  the  country  we  subdue 
is  to  be  given  up ;  and  I  imagine  there  are  but  few  indi 
viduals  in  our  country  who  think  of  annexing  Mexico  to 
the  United  States. 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  carry  on  my  operations  (as  previ 
ously  stated)  beyond  Saltillo,  deeming  it  next  to  imprac- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAX.  259 

ticablc  to  do  so.  It  then  becomes  a  question  as  to  what 
is  best  to  be  done.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  most  judi 
cious  course  to  be  pursued  on  our  part  would  be  to  take 
possession  at  once  of  the  line  we  would  accept  by  nego 
tiation,  extending  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Pacific, 
and  occupy  the  same,  or  keep  what  we  already  have 
possession  of;  and  that,  with  Tampico  (which  I  hope 
to  take  in  the  course  of  the  next  month,  or  as  soon  as 
I  can  get  the  means  of  transportation),  will  give  us  all 
on  this  side  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  and  as  soon  as  I  occupy 
Saltillo,  will  include  six  or  seven  states,  or  provinces; 
thus  holding  Tampico,  Victoria,  Monterey,  Saltillo,  Mon- 
clova,  Chihuahua  (which  I  presume  General  Wool  has 
possession  of  by  this  time),  Santa  Fe,  and  the  Californias, 
and  say  to  Mexico,  '  Drive  us  from  the  country' — throw 
ing  on  her  the  responsibility  and  expense  of  carrying  on 
offensive  war ;  at  the  same  time  closely  blockading  all 
her  ports  on  the  Pacific  and  the  Gulf.  A  course  of  this 
kind,  if  persevered  in  for  a  short  time,  would  soon  bring 
her  to  her  proper  senses,  and  compel  her  to  sue  for  peace, 
provided  there  is  a  government  in  the  country  sufficient 
ly  stable  for  us  to  treat  with,  which  I  fear  will  hardly  be 
the  case  for  many  years  to  come.  Without  large  re- 
enforcements  of  volunteers  from  the  United  States,  say 
ten  or  fifteen  thousand  (those  previously  sent  out  having 
already  been  greatly  reduced  by  sickness  and  other  cas 
ualties),  I  do  not  believe  it  would  be  advisable  to  march 
beyond  Saltillo,  which  is  more  than  two  hundred  miles 
beyond  our  depots  on  the  Rio  Grande — a  very  long  line 
on  which  to  keep  up  supplies  (over  a  land  route,  in  a 
country  like  this)  for  a  large  force,  and  certain  to  be  at 
tended  with  an  expense  which  will  be  frightful  to  con 
template  when  closely  looked  into. 

"  From  Saltillo  to  San  Luis  Potosi,  the  next  place  of 
importance  on  the  road  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  is  three 
hundred  miles ;  one  hundred  and  forty  badly  watered, 
where  no  supplies  of  any  kind  could  be  procured  for  man 
or  horses.  I  have  informed  the  War  Department  that 
20,000  efficient  men  would  be  necessary  to  insure  success 
if  we  move  on  that  place  (a  city  containing  a  population 
of  00,000,  where  the  enemy  could  bring  together  and 
sustain,  besides  the  citizens,  an  army  of  50,000),  a  force 


260  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

which,  I  apprehend,  will  hardly  be  collected  by  us,  with 
the  train  necessary  to  feed  it,  as  well  as  to  transport  vari 
ous  other  supplies,  particularly  ordnance  and  munitions 
of  war. 

"  In  regard  to  the  armistice,  which  would  have  ex 
pired  by  limitation  in  a  few  days,  we  lost  nothing  by  it, 
as  we  could  not  move  even  now,  had  the  enemy  con 
tinued  to  occupy  Saltillo ;  for,  strange  to  say,  the  first 
wagon  which  has  reached  me  since  the  declaration  of  war 
was  on  the  2d  instant,  the  same  day  on  which  I  received 
from  Washington  an  acknowledgment  of  my  dispatch 
announcing  the  taking  of  Monterey;  and  then  I  received 
only  one  hundred  and  thirty-five ;  so  that  I  have  been 
since  May  last  completely  crippled,  and  am  still  so,  for 
want  of  transportation.  After  raking  and  scraping  the 
country  for  miles  around  Camargo,  collecting  every  pack- 
mule  and  other  means  of  transportation,  I  could  bring 
here  only  80,000  rations  (fifteen  days'  supply),  with  a 
moderate  supply  of  ordnance,  ammunition,  etc.,  to  do 
which  all  the  corps  had  to  leave  behind  a  portion  of 
their  camp  equipage  necessary  for  their  comfort;  and, 
in  some  instances  among  the  volunteers,  their  personal 
baggage.  I  moved  in  such  a  way,  and  with  such  limited 
means,  that,  had  I  not  succeeded,  I  should  no  doubt  have 
been  severely  reprimanded,  if  nothing  worse.  I  did  so 
to  sustain  the  administration.  *  *  *  * 

"  Of  the  two  regiments  of  mounted  men  from  Tennes 
see  and  Kentucky,  who  left  their  respective  states  to  join 
me  in  June,  the  latter  has  just  reached  Camargo ;  the 
former  had  not  got  to  Matamoras  at  the  latest  dates 
from  there.  Admitting  that  they  will  be  as  long  in  re 
turning  as  in  getting  here  (to  say  nothing  of  the  time 
necessary  to  recruit  their  horses),  and  were  to  be  dis 
charged  in  time  to  reach  their  homes,  they  could  serve 
in  Mexico  but  a  very  short  time. 

"  The  foregoing  remarks  are  not  made  with  the  view 
of  finding  fault  with  any  one,  but  to  point  out  the  dif 
ficulties  with  which  I  have  had  to  contend. 

"  Monterey,  the  capital  of  jSTewLeon,  is  situated  on  the 
San  Juan  River,  where  it  comes  out  of  the  mountains — 
the  city,  which  contains  a  population  of  about  12,000,  be 
ing  in  part  surrounded  by  them — at  the  head  of  a  large 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  261 

and  beautiful  valley.  The  houses  are  of  stone,  in  the 
Moorish  style,  with  flat  roofs,  which,  with  their  strongly- 
inclosed  yards  and  gardens  in  high  stone  walls,  all  looped 
for  musketry,  make  them  each  a  fortress  within  itself.  It 
is  the  most  important  place  in  Northern  Mexico,  or  on 
the  east  side  of  Sierra  Madre,  commanding  the  only  pass, 
or  road,  for  carriages  from  this  side,  between  it  and  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  to  the  table-lands  of  the  Sierra,  by  or 
through  which  the  city  of  Mexico  can  be  reached." 

This  letter  produced  much  sensation.  Distinguished 
politicians  already  began  to  feel  the  pangs  of  jealousy, 
and  the  central  organ  of  the  administration  strongly  con 
demned  the  publication.  The  following  bulletin  soon 
after  appeared.  It  had  an  awful  squinting  at  Taylor  and 
Gaines : 

"  General  Orders — No.  3. 
"WAR  DEPARTMENT,  Washington,  Jan.  28th,  1847. 

"  The  President  of  the  United  States  directs  that  para 
graph  G50  of  the  General  Regulations  for  the  Army  es 
tablished  on  the  1st  of  March,  1825,  and  not  included 
among  those  published  January  25th,  1841,  be  now  repub- 
lished,  and  that  its  observance  as  a  part  of  the  general 
regulations  be  strictly  enjoined  upon  the  army. 

"By  order  of  the  President. 

"  WM.  L.  MABCY,  Secretary  of  War. 

"  G50.  Private  letters  or  reports,  relative  to  military 
marches  and  operations,  are  frequently  mischievous  in  de 
sign,  and  always  disgraceful  to  the  army.  They  are, 
therefore,  strictly  forbidden ;  and  any  officer  found  guilty 
of  making  such  report  for  publication,  without  special 
permission,  or  of  placing  the  writing  beyond  his  control, 
so  that  it  finds  its  way  to  the  press,  within  one  month 
after  the  termination  of  the  campaign  to  which  it  relates, 
shall  be  dismissed  from  the  service." 

The  capitulation  had  now  become  the  subject  of  gen 
eral  discussion.  The  President  and  secretary  of  war 
were  known  to  disapprove  it.  Facts  were  perverted. 
The  motives  of  Gen.  Taylor  were  misrepresented.  Dis- 


262  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

sension  and  distrust  were  propagated  in  the  army.  Under 
these  circumstances,  Col.  Jefferson  Davis,  of  the  Missis 
sippi  Riflemen,  one  of  the  commissioners,  a  man  educated 
with  the  most  fastidious  notions  of  military  punctilio  and 
honor,  deemed  it  his  duty  to  defend  the  transaction.  This 
able  paper,  and  the  accompanying  documents,  demand  a 
place  in  history. 

"Victoria,  Mexico,  January  6th,  1847. 

"  DEAR  SIR, — After  much  speculation  and  no  little  mis 
representation  about  the  capitulation  of  Monterey,  I  per 
ceive  by  our  recent  newspapers  that  a  discussion  has 
arisen  as  to  who  is  responsible  for  that  transaction.  As 
one  of  the  commissioners  who  were  intrusted  by  Gen. 
Taylor  with  the  arrangement  of  the  terms  upon  which 
the  city  of  Monterey  and  its  fortifications  should  be  de 
livered  to  our  forces,  I  have  had  frequent  occasion  to  re 
cur  to  the  course  then  adopted,  and  the  considerations 
which  led  to  it.  My  judgment  after  the  fact  has  fully 
sustained  my  decisions  at  the  date  of  the  occurrence ; 
and  feeling  myself  responsible  for  the  instrument  as  we 
prepared  and  presented  it  to  our  commanding  general, 
I  have  the  satisfaction,  after  all  subsequent  events,  to  be 
lieve  that  the  terms  we  offered  were  expedient,  and  hon 
orable,  and  wise.  A  distinguished  gentleman,  with  whom 
I  acted  on  that  commission,  Governor  Henderson,  says, 
in  a  recently  published  letter,  '  I  did  not  at  the  time,  nor 
do  I  still,  like  the  terms,  but  acted  as  one  of  the  com 
missioners,  together  with  Gen.  Worth  and  Col.  Davis,  to 
carry  out  Gen.  Taylor's  instructions.  We  ought,  and 
could  have  made  them  surrender  at  discretion,'  etc.,  etc. 

"  From  each  position  in  the  above  paragraph  I  dissent. 
The  instructions  given  by  Gen.  Taylor  only  presented  his 
object,  and  fixed  a  limit  to  the  powers  of  his  commission 
ers  ;  hence,  when  points  were  raised  which  exceeded  our 
discretion,  they  were  referred  to  the  commander ;  but 
minor  points  were  acted  on,  and  finally  submitted  as  a 
part  of  our  negotiation.  We  fixed  the  time  within  which 
the  Mexican  forces  should  retire  from  Monterey.  We 
agreed  upon  the  time  we  would  wait  for  the  decision  of 
the  respective  governments,  which  I  recollect  was  less 
by  thirty-four  days  than  the  Mexican  commissioners 


JOHN   A.    QUITMAN.  263 

asked,  the  period  adopted  being  that  which,  according  to 
our  estimate,  was  required  to  bring  up  the  rear  of  our 
army  with  the  ordnance  and  supplies  necessary  for  farther 
operations. 

"  I  did  not  then,  nor  do  I  now,  believe  we  could  have 
made  the  enemy  surrender  at  discretion.  Had  I  enter 
tained  the  opinion,  it  would  have  been  given  to  the  com 
mission  and  to  the  commanding  general,  and  it  would 
have  precluded  me  from  signing  an  agreement  which  per 
mitted  the  garrison  to  retire  with  the  honors  of  war. 
It  is  demonstrable,  from  the  position  and  known  prowess 
of  the  two  armies,  that  we  could  drive  the  enemy  from 
the  town,  but  the  town  was  untenable  while  the  main 
fort  (called  the  new  citadel)  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  Being  without  siege  artillery  or  intrenching 
tools,  we  could  only  hope  to  carry  this  fort  by  storm, 
after  a  heavy  loss  from  our  army,  which,  isolated  in  a 
hostile  country,  now  numbered  less  than  half  the  forces 
of  the  enemy.  When  all  this  had  been  achieved,  what 
more  would  we  have  gained  than  by  the  capitulation  ? 

"General  Taylor's  force  was  too  small  to  invest  the 
town.  It  was,  therefore,  always  in  the  power  of  the  en 
emy  to  retreat,  bearing  his  light  arms.  Oar  army — poor 
ly  provided,  and  with  very  insufficient  transportation — 
could  not  have  overtaken  if  they  had  pursued  the  flying 
enemy.  Hence  the  conclusion  that,  as  it  was  not  in  our 
power  to  capture  the  main  body  of  the  Mexican  army, 
it  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  their  general  would  have 
surrendered  at  discretion.  The  moral  effect  of  retiring 
under  the  capitulation  was  certainly  greater  than  if  the  en 
emy  had  retreated  without  our  consent.  By  this  course 
wo  secured  the  large  supply  of  ammunition  we  had  col 
lected  in  Monterey,  which,  had  the  assault  been  contin 
ued,  must  have  been  exploded  by  our  shells,  as  it  was 
principally  stored  in  '  the  cathedral,'  which,  being  sup 
posed  to  be  filled  with  troops,  was  the  especial  aim  of 
our  pieces.  The  destruction  which  this  explosion  would 
have  produced  must  have  involved  the  advance  of  both 
divisions  of  our  troops ;  and  I  commend  this  to  the  con 
templation  of  those  whose  arguments  have  been  drawn 
from  facts  learned  since  the  commissioners  closed  their 
negotiations.  With  these  introductory  remarks,  I  send 


264  LIFE   AND   COKKESPOXDEXCE    OF 

a  copy  of  a  manuscript  in  my  possession,  which  was  pre 
pared  to  meet  such  necessity  as  now  exists  for  an  expla 
nation  of  the  views  which  governed  the  commissioners 
in  arranging  the  terms  of  capitulation,  to  justify  the  com 
manding  general,  should  misrepresentation  and  calumny 
attempt  to  tarnish  his  well-earned  reputation,  and,  for  all 
time  to  come,  to  fix  the  truth  of  the  transaction. 

"  JEFFEKSOX  DAVIS." 

"Memoranda  of  the  Transactions  in  connection  with 
the  Capitulation  of  Monterey,  capital  of  Niieva  Leon, 

Mexico. 

"  By  invitation  of  General  Ampudia,  commanding  the 
Mexican  army,  General  Taylor,  accompanied  by  a  num 
ber  of  his  officers,  proceeded,  on  the  24th  of  September, 
1846,  to  a  house  designated  as  the  place  at  which  Gen 
eral  Ampudia  requested  an  interview.  The  parties  be 
ing  convened,  General  Ampudia  announced,  as  official 
information,  that  commissioners  from  the  United  States 
had  been  received  by  the  government  of  Mexico,  and 
that  the  orders  under  which  he  had  prepared  to  defend 
the  city  of  Monterey  had  lost  their  force  by  the  subse 
quent  change  of  his  own  government,  therefore  he  asked 
the  conference.  A  brief  conversation  between  the  com 
manding  generals  showed  their  views  to  be  so  opposite 
as  to  leave  little  reason  to  expect  an  amicable  arrange 
ment  between  them. 

"General  Taylor  said  he  would  not  delay  to  receive 
such  propositions  as  General  Ampudia  indicated.  One 
of  General  Ampudia's  party,  I  think  the  governor  of  the 
city,  suggested  the  appointment  of  a  mixed  commission : 
this  was  acceded  to,  and  General  W.  S.  Worth,  of  the 
United  States  Army,  General  J.  Pinckney  Henderson,  of 
the  Texan  Volunteers,  and  Colonel  Jefferson  Davis,  of 
the  Mississippi  Riflemen,  on  the  part  of  General  Taylor ; 
and  General  J.  Ma.  Ortega,  General  P.  Requeiia,  and  se- 
nor  the  governor  M.  Ma.  Llano,  on  the  part  of  General 
Ampudia,  were  appointed. 

"  General  Taylor  gave  instructions  to  his  commission 
ers  which,  as  understood,  for  they  were  brief  and  verbal, 
will  be  best  shown  by  the  copy  of  the  demand  which 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  265 

the  United  States  commissioners  prepared  in  the  con 
ference-room,  here  incorporated : 

"  Copy  of  Demand  l)\j  United  States  Commissioners. 

"  I.  As  the  legitimate  result  of  the  operations  before 
this  place,  and  the  present  position  of  the  contending 
armies,  we  demand  the  surrender  of  the  town,  the  arms 
and  munitions  of  war,  and  all  other  public  property  with 
in  the  place. 

"  II.  That  the  Mexican  armed  .force  retire  beyond  the 
Rinconada,  Linares,  and  San  Fernando  on  the  coast. 

"  III.  The  commanding  general  of  the  army  of  the 
United  States  agrees  that  the  Mexican  officers  reserve 
their  side-arms  and  private  baggage,  and  the  troops  be 
allowed  to  retire  under  their  officers  without  parole,  a 
reasonable  time  being  allowed  to  withdraw  the  forces. 

"  IV.  The  immediate  delivery  of  the  main  works  now 
occupied  to  the  army  of  the  United  States. 

"  V.  To  avoid  collisions,  and  for  mutual  convenience, 
that  the  troops  of  the  United  States  shall  not  occupy 
the  town  until  the  Mexican  forces  have  been  withdrawn, 
except  for  hospital  purposes,  store-houses,  etc. 

"  VI.  The  commanding  general  of  the  United  States 
agrees  not  to  advance  beyond  the  line  specified  in  the 
second  section  before  the  expiration  of  eight  weeks,  or 
until  the  respective  governments  can  be  heard  from. 
*/* 

"  The  terms  of  the  demand  were  refused  by  the  Mex 
ican  commissioners,  who  drew  np  a  counter-proposition, 
of  which  I  only  recollect  that  it  contained  a  permission 
to  the  Mexican  forces  to  retire  with  their  arms.  This 
was  urged  as  a  matter  of  soldierly  pride,  and  as  an  ordi 
nary  courtesy.  We  had  reached  the  limit  of  our  in 
structions,  and  the  commission  rose  to  report  the  disa 
greement. 

"  Upon  returning  to  the  reception-room  after  the  fact 
had  been  announced  that  the  commissioners  could  not 
agree  upon  terms,  General  Ampudia  entered  at  length 
upon  the  question,  treating  the  point  of  disagreement  as 
one  which  involved  the  honor  of  his  country,  spoke  of 
his  desire  for  a  settlement  without  farther  bloodshed, 
and  said  he  did  not  care  about  the  pieces  of  artillery 

VOL.  I.— M 


206  LIFE   AND   COEKESPONDENCE    OF 

which  he  had  at  the  place.  General  Taylor  responded 
to  the  wish  to  avoid  unnecessary  bloodshed.  It  was 
agreed  the  commission  should  reassemble,  and  we  were 
instructed  to  concede  the  small-arms,  and  I  supposed 
there  would  be  no  question  about  the  artillery.  The  Mex 
ican  commissioners  now  urged  that,  as  all  other  arms  had 
been  recognized,  it  would  be  discreditable  to  the  artil 
lery  if  required  to  march  out  without  any  thing  to  rep 
resent  their  arm,  and  stated,  in  answer  to  an  inquiry, 
that  they  had  a  battery  .of  light  artillery  manoeuvred  and 
equipped  as  such.  The  commission  again  rose  and  re 
ported  the  disagreement  on  the  point  of  artillery. 

"  Gen.  Taylor,  hearing  that  more  was  demanded  than 
the  middle  ground  upon  which,  in  a  spirit  of  generosity, 
he  had  agreed  to  place  the  capitulation,  announced  the 
conference  at  an  end,  and  rose  in  a  manner  which  show 
ed  his  determination  to  talk  no  more.  As  he  crossed  the 
room  to  leave  it,  one  of  the  Mexican  commissioners  ad 
dressed  him,  and  some  conversation,  which  I  did  not 
hear,  ensued.  Gen.  Worth  asked  permission  of  Gen. 
Taylor,  and  addressed  some  remarks  to  Gen.  Ampudia, 
the  spirit  of  which  was  that  which  he  manifested  through 
out  the  negotiation,  viz.,  generosity  and  leniency,  and  a 
desire  to  spare  the  farther  effusion  of  blood.  The  com 
mission  reassembled,  and  the  points  of  capitulation  were 
agreed  upon.  After  a  short  recess,  we  again  repaired  to 
the  room  in  which  we  had  parted  from  the  Mexican  com 
missioners  ;  they  were  tardy  in  joining  us,  and  slow  in 
executing  the  instrument  of  capitulation.  The  7th,  8th, 
and  9th  articles  were  added  during  the  session.  At  a 
late  hour  the  English  original  was  handed  to  Gen.  Tay 
lor  for  his  examination,  the  Spanish  original  having  been 
sent  to  Gen.  Ampudia.  Gen.  Taylor  signed  and  deliver 
ed  to  me  the  instrument  as  it  was  submitted  to  him,  and 
I  returned  to  receive  the  Spanish  copy  with  the  signature 
of  Gen.  Ampudia,  and  send  that  having  Gen.  Taylor's 
signature,  that  each  general  might  countersign  the  orig 
inal  to  be  retained  by  the  other.  Gen.  Ampudia  did  not 
sign  the  instrument,  as  was  expected,  but  came  himself 
to  meet  the  commissioners.  He  raised  many  points 
which  had  been  settled,  and  evinced  a  disposition  to 
make  the  Spanish  differ  in  essential  points  from  the  En- 


JOHAT    A.  QU1TMAX.  2t>7 

glish  instrument.  Gen.  "Worth  was  absent.  Finally,  he 
was  required  to  sign  the  instrument  prepared  by  his  own 
commissioners,  and  the  English  original  was  left  with  him 
that  he  might  have  it  translated  (which  he  promised  to 
do  that  night)  and  be  ready  next  morning  with  a  Span 
ish  duplicate  of  the  English  instrument  left  with  him. 
By  this  means  the  two  instruments  would  be  made  to 
correspond,  and  he  be  compelled  to  admit  his  knowl 
edge  of  the  contents  of  the  English  original  before  he 
signed  it. 

"  The  next  morning  the  commission  again  met ;  again 
the  attempt  was  made,  as  had  been  often  done  before 
by  solicitation,  to  gain  some  grant  in  addition  to  the 
compact.  Thus  we  had,  at  their  request,  adopted  the 
word  '  capitulation'  in  lieu  of  surrender ;  they  now  wish 
ed  to  substitute  '  stipulation'  for  capitulation.  It  finally 
became  necessary  to  make  a  peremptory  demand  for  the 
immediate  signing  of  the  English  instrument  by  Gen. 
Ampudia,  and  the  literal  translation  (now  perfected)  by 
the  commissioners  and  their  general.  The  Spanish  in 
strument  first  signed  by  Gen.  Ampudia  was  destroyed  in 
presence  of  his  commissioners ;  the  translation  of  our 
own  instrument  was  countersigned  by  Gen.  Taylor  and 
delivered ;  the  agreement  was  complete,  and  it  only  re 
mained  to  execute  the  terms. 

"Much  has  been  said  about  the  construction  of  Article 
II.  of  the  capitulation,  a  copy  of  which  is  hereto  append 
ed.  Whatever  ambiguity  there  may  be  in  the  language 
used,  there  was  a  perfect  understanding  by  the  commis 
sioners  on  both  sides  as  to  the  intent  of  the  parties.  The 
distinction  we  made  between  light  artillery,  equipped 
and  manoeuvred  as  such,  designed  for  and  used  in  the 
field,  and  pieces  being  the  armament  of  the  fort,  was 
clearly  stated  on  our  side,  and  that  it  was  comprehended 
on  theirs  appeared  in  the  fact,  that  repeatedly  they  as 
serted  their  possession  of  light  artillery,  and  said  that 
they  had  one  battery  of  light  pieces.  Such  conformity 
of  opinion  existed  among  our  commissioners  upon  every 
measure  which  was  finally  adopted,  that  I  consider  them, 
in  their  sphere,  jointly  and  severally  responsible  for  each 
and  every  article  of  the  capitulation.  If,  as  originally 
viewed  by  Gen.  Worth,  our  conduct  has  been  in  accord- 


268  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

ance  with  the  peaceful  policy  of  our  government,  and 
shall  in  any  degree  tend  to  consummate  that  policy,  we 
may  congratulate  ourselves  upon  the  part  we  have  taken. 
If  otherwise,  it  will  remain  to  me  a  deliberate  opinion 
that  the  terms  of  the  capitulation  gave  all  which  could 
have  followed  of  desirable  result  from  a  farther  assault. 
It  was  in  the  power  of  the  enemy  to  retreat  and  to  bear 
with  him  his  small-arms  and  such  a  battery  as  was  con 
templated  in  the  capitulation.  The  other  grants  were 
such  as  it  was  honorable  in  a  conquering  army  to  bestow, 
and  which  it  cost  magnanimity  nothing  to  give. 

"The  above  recollections  are  submitted  to  Generals 
Henderson  and  Worth  for  correction  and  addition,  that 
the  misrepresentation  of  the  transaction  may  be  prevent 
ed  by  a  statement  made  while  the  events  are  recent  and 
the  memory  fresh.  JEFFERSON  DAVIS, 

"Colonel  Mississippi  Riflemen." 

"Camp  near  Monterey,  October  7th,  184G. 
"The  above  is  a  correct  statement  of  the  leading  tacts 
connected  with  the  transactions  referred  to,  according  to 
rny  recollection.  It  is,  however,  proper  that  I  should 
farther  state  that  my  first  impression  was  that  no  better 
terms  than  those  first  proposed,  on  the  part  of  General 
Taylor,  when  I  found  him  disposed  to  yield  to  the  request 
of  General  Ampudia,  and  at  the  same  time  gave  it  as  my 
opinion  that  they  would  be  accepted  by  him  before  we 
left  the  town.  General  Taylor  replied  that  he  would 
run  no  risk  when  it  could  be  avoided ;  that  he  wished  to 
avoid  the  farther  shedding  of  blood,  and  that  he  was  sat 
isfied  that  our  government  would  be  pleased  with  the 
terms  given  by  the  capitulation ;  and  being  myself  per 
suaded  of  the  fact,  I  yielded  my  individual  views  and 
wishes  ;  and,  under  that  conviction,  I  shall  ever  be  ready 
to  defend  the  terms  of  the  capitulation. 

"  J.  PINCKNEY  HENDERSON, 
"Maj.  Gen.  commanding  the  Texan  Volunteers." 

"I  not  only  counseled  and  advised,  the  opportunity 
being  oiFered  by  the  general-in-chief,  the  first  proposi 
tion,  but  cordially  assented  and  approved  the  decision 
taken  by  General  Taylor  in  respect  to  the  latter,  as  did 


JOIIX    A.  QUITilAN.  269 

every  member  of  tlie  commission,  and  for  good  and  suf- 
licient  military  and  national  reasons,  and  stand  ready  at 
all  times  and  proper  places  to  defend  and  sustain  the  ac 
tion  of  the  commanding  general,  and  participation  of  the 
commissioners.  Knowing  that  malignants,  the  tremor 
being  off,  are  at  work  to  discredit  and  misrepresent  the 
case  (as  I  had  anticipated),  I  feel  obliged  to  Colonel  Davis 
for  having  thrown  together  the  materials  and  facts. 

"  W.  J.  WOKTII, 

"  Brig.  Gen.  commanding  2d  division. 
"Monterey,  October  12th,  1840." 

"  Terms  of  the  capitulation  of  the  city  of  Monterey, 
the  capital  of  Nueva  Leon,  agreed  upon  by  the  under 
signed  commissioners,  to  wit :  Gen.  Worth,  of  the  United 
States  Army ;  Gen.  Henderson,  of  the  Texan  Volunteers ; 
and  Col.  Davis,  of  the  Mississippi  Riflemen,  on  the  part 
of  Maj.  Gen.  Taylor,  coinmanding-in-chief  the  United 
States  forces  ;  and  Gen.  Requena,  and  Gen.  Ortega,  of 
the  army  of  Mexico  ;  and  Senor  Manuel  M.  Llano,  gov 
ernor  of  Nueva  Leon,  on  the  part  of  Senor  Don  Pedro 
Ampudia,  commanding-iii-chief  the  army  of  the  North 
of  Mexico. 

"Article  1.  As  the  legitimate  result  of  the  operations 
before  this  place,  and  the  present  position  of  the  contend 
ing  armies,  it  is  agreed  that  the  city,  the  fortifications, 
cannon,  the  munitions  of  war,  and  all  other  public  prop 
erty,  with  the  undermentioned  exceptions,  be  surrendered 
to  the  commanding  general  of  the  United  States  forces 
now  at  Monterey. 

"  Art.  2.  That  the  Mexican  forces  be  allowed  to  retain 
the  following  arms,  to  wit:  The  commissioned  officers, 
their  side-arms  ;  the  infantry,  their  arms  and  accoutre 
ments  ;  the  artillery,  one  field-battery,  not  to  exceed  six 
pieces,  with  twenty-one  rounds  of  ammunition. 

'•'•Art.  3.  That  the  Mexican  armed  forces  retire  within 
seven  days  from  this  date  beyond  the  line  formed  by  the 
pass  of  the  Rinconada,  the  city  of  Linares,  and  San  Fer 
nando  de  Pusos. 

"  Art.  4.  That  the  citadel  of  Monterey  be  evacuated  by 
the  Mexican,  and  occupied  by  the  American  forces  to 
morrow  morning  at  10  o'clock. 


270  LIFE   AND    COEEESPONDENCE    OF 

"  Art.  5.  To  avoid  collisions,  and  for  mutual  conven 
ience,  that  the  troops  of  the  United  States  will  not  occu 
py  the  city  until  the  Mexican  forces  have  withdrawn,  ex 
cept  for  hospital  and  storage  purposes. 

u  Art.  6.  That  the  forces  of  the  United  States  will  not 
advance  beyond  the  line  specified  in  the  3d  article  before 
the  expiration  of  eight  weeks,  or  until  the  orders  from  the 
respective  governments  can  be  received. 

"  Art.  7.  That  the  public  property  to  be  delivered  shall 
be  turned  over  and  received  by  officers  appointed  by  the 
commanding  generals  of  the  two  armies. 

"  Art.  8.  That  all  doubts  as  to  the  meaning  of  any  of 
the  preceding  articles  shall  be  solved  by  an  equitable 
construction,  and  on  principles  of  liberality  to  the  retir 
ing  army. 

"  Art.  9.  That  the  Mexican  flag,  when  struck  at  the 
citadel,  may  be  saluted  by  its  own  battery. 
"W.J.  WORTH, 

"Brig.  Gen. U.S.  Army. 
"  J.  PINCKNEY  HENDERSON, 
"  Maj.  Gen.  commanding  the  Texan  Volunteers. 
"JEFFERSON  DAVIS, 

"  Col.  Mississippi  Riflemen. 
"  J.  M.  ORTEGA. 
"  P.  REQUENA. 
"MANUEL  M.  LLANO. 
(Approved), 
"PEDRO  AMPUDIA. 

"Z.  TAYLOR,  Maj.  Gen.  U.  S.  A.  commanding. 
"Done  at  Monterey,  Sept.  24th,  1846." 

This  publication  defeated  the  unjust  and  ungrateful 
attempt  to  crush  Gen.  Taylor  by  arraying  against  him 
the  war  feeling  of  the  nation,  which  had  been  thoroughly 
aroused  by  his  own  victories. 

Viewing  the  transaction  at  this  distance,  it  would  seem 
that  the  capitulation  was  justifiable ;  and  it  reflects  this 
honor  on  the  republic,  that,  in  the  full  career  of  conquest, 
a  victorious  army  pressing  a  retreating  and  supplicating 
enemy,  a  general  who  had  never  been  defeated,  with  the 


JOHN    A.   QUITMAN.  2V 1 

sanction  of  advisers  who  had  never  flinched  from  peril  or 
responsibility,  accepted  the  first  overture  for  peace.  In 
a  moral  point  of  view,  and  as  an  illustration  of  national 
character,  inspiring  confidence  in  our  military  men,  show 
ing  how  strongly  and  correctly  they  appreciate  the  du 
ties  of  the  citizen,  and  are  ever  ready  to  relinquish  bloody 
laurels  for  the  public  welfare,  the  capitulation  of  Monte 
rey  is  a  richer  heir-loom  for  the  nation  than  the  victories 
of  that  memorable  campaign.  If  it  turned  out  after 
ward  that  some  of  the  representations  made  to  the  com 
missioners  by  the  Mexican  general  were  false,  it  reflects 
no  dishonor  upon  us.  When  parties  consent  to  negotiate, 
good  faith,  and  not  perfidy,  is  to  be  presumed. 

General  Quitman  disapproved  the  capitulation.  He 
had  always  condemned  the  policy  of  President  Polk, 
which  General  Taylor  presumed,  and  justly  presumed, 
he  was  acting  upon  when  he  accepted  overtures  from 
Ampudia,  Quitman' s  fixed  opinion  was  that  the  war 
should  be  carried  on  chiefly  by  volunteers ;  that  they 
should  never  be  inactive ;  that  it  should  be  a  war,  not 
on  Mr.  Polk's  feeble  maxim,  "  to  conquer  a  peace,"  but 
a  Avar  for  conquest^  and  occupation.  He  regarded,  and 
justly  regarrrMTTthe  great  bulk  of  the  Mexicans  as  abas-' 
tard  and  robber  race,  incapable  of  self-government,  and 
only  fit  for  servitude  and  military  rule.  Viewing  the. 
war  on  our  part  as  eminently  just,  he  considered  that  the 
whole  Mexican  territory  should  be  subdued,  annexed, 
and  governed  by  the  sword,  under  American  laws,  until 
the  population  should  be  sufficiently  tutored  and  im 
proved  by  immigration  to  be  incorporated  with  the  re 
public.  His  plan  was  a  prompt  movement,  with  an  ef 
fective  force,  on  San  Luis  do  Potosi,  and  thence  to  the 
capital.  These  views  are  foreshadowed  in  the  following 
letter : 


272  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OP 


To  Hon.  Robert  J.  Walker,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury. 

"  Camp  Allen,  near  Monterey,  November  12th,  1846. 

"  MY  DEAR  SIR, — Your  prominent  position  in  the  ad 
ministration,  and  our  long  and  intimate  acquaintance,  in 
duce  me  to  address  you  without  reserve  upon  some 
matters  of  the  highest  interest  to  the  country  and  to  the 
present  administration. 

"  I  forbear  to  say  any  thing  of  what  has  passed  in  the 
army,  except  to  disclaim  having  ever  given  any  counte 
nance  to  the  unfortunate  and  ill-advised  convention  of 
Monterey.  I  was  present,  by  invitation  of  General  Tay 
lor,  at  the  conference  between  the  opposing  generals,  but 
my  opinion  was  not  asked,  nor  had  I  any  participation  in 
the  results. 

"  I  believed  the  city  and  army  entirely  in  our  power, 
and  would  have  opposed  terms  which  must  result  in  con 
verting  a  brilliant  and  decisive  victory  into  a  drawn  bat 
tle. 

"  It  is  not  my  purpose,  however,  to  comment  upon 
circumstances  which  have  tended  to  place  this  temporary 
volunteer  army  in  a  state  of  inaction  for  a  large  portion 
of  the  season  best  calculated  for  prosecuting  a  successful 
campaign  in  Mexico.  I  have  been  informed  that  officers 
high  in  rank  have  recommended  the  policy  of  ceasing 
farther  offensive  operations,  of  holding  on  to  the  con 
quered  Mexican  provinces,  and  standing  on  the  defens 
ive.  This  policy,  in  my  opinion,  would  be  disastrous,  if 
not  disgraceful  to  the  country,  and  would  result  in  pro 
tracting  and  adding  to  the  expenses  of  the  war,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  contempt  of  our  national  character  which 
it  would  engender  in  Europe  and  even  in  Mexico.  Na 
tional  insult  is  at  least  one  cause  of  the  war.  Will  the 
occupation  of  territory  unimportant,  in  a  revenue  point 
of  view,  to  Mexico,  compel  her  to  atone  for  national  in 
sult?  AVill  not  such  a  policy  tend  to  prolong  the  war  ? 
It  will  soon  be  known  to  Mexico.  Under  it,  secure 
from  attack,  she  need,  not  ev-en  defend  her  salient  points 
in  advance  of  our  line,  and  may  quietly  and  safely  await 
the  development  of  her  resources  until,  on  her  part,  some 
favorable  blow  may  be  struck.  All  the  occupied  points 
of  our  defensive  line  being  equally  accessible  to  her,  she 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  273 

may  choose  her  own  time  and  season  to  throw  upon  any 
one  of  them  an  overwhelming  force  and  cut  off  our  gar 
risons  or  defeat  our  detachments.  Suppose,  in  pursuit 
of  this  policy,  we  occupy  the  line  from  Tampico  through 
Victoria,  Linares,  Monterey,  or  Saltillo  and  Monclova,  to 
Santa  Fe,  25,000  men  would  be  required ;  5000  at  Tam 
pico  ;  5000  at  Victoria;  5000  at  Monterey  and  Saltillo  ; 
5000  from  Monclova  to  Santa  Fe ;  and  at  least  5000  to 
protect  the  depots  and  transportation  in  rear ;  and  even 
then  Tampico  and  Monterey  would  be  exposed  to  the 
whole  force  of  the  Mexican  army  before  relief  could  be 
had  from  other  points.  If,  however,  we  had  an  efficient 
army  of  but  half  this  force  in  the  field,  threatening  Poto- 
si,  or  any  other  vulnerable  point  in  advance  of  our  line, 
it  would  most  effectually  cover  the  whole  strategic  line 
in  rear  of  its  line  of  movement,  and  force  the  enemy  to 
concentrate  his  forces  and  meet  us  in  the  field,  or  uncov 
er  the  way  to  his  capital.  I  do  not  intend  positively  to 
designate  Potosi  as  the  proper  objective  point  to  our 
operations,  but  to  give  my  opinion  that  the  war  should 
be  prosecuted  by  penetrating  the  country  on  some  prac 
ticable  line  with  an  adequate  force,  say  12,000  men,  well 
equipped.  From  the  information  I  have  been  able  to 
pick  up,  I  have  no  doubt  such  a  force  could  take  Potosi 
against  30,000  Mexicans.  The  obstacles  in  the  way  are 
said  to  be  deficiency  of  permanent  supply  of  water.  I 
have  no  doubt  this  is  exaggerated.  At  least,  I  am  satis 
fied  it  can  be  overcome  in  several  modes,  which  I  will 
not  weary  you  with  detailing.  With  such  an  enemy  as 
we  have  to  contend  against,  we  can  never  succeed  in  im 
pressing  them  with  respect  for  our  power  and  national 
character  except  by  dealing  upon  them  hard  blows :  we 
can  only  obtain  their  respect  through  their  fears.  Be 
sides,  this  mode  of  prosecuting  the  war  would  be  better 
suited  to  the  character  of  the  provisional  force  we  have 
in  the  field,  to  the  ardent  and  energetic  disposition  of 
the  people  of  the  United  States,  and  would  be  more  in 
consonance  with  our  pretensions,  or  rather  claims,  as  one 
of  the  principal  powers  of  the  civilized  world.  Besides, 
the  heavy  expenses  incident  to  a  war  are  calculated  to 
have  the  most  serious  effects  upon  the  administration  in 
power  unless  they  are  compensated  by  brilliant  results. 
M  2 


274  LIFE   AND    COKKESPONDESTCE    OF 

The  field  is,  in  my  opinion,  open  for  these,  if  judiciously 
planned.  An  army  of  volunteers  will  always  be  brought 
into  the  field  at  great  expense.  Of  these  sent  into  this 
country  there  has  been  an  average  loss,  from  disease  and 
incapacities  of  various  kinds,  of  about  thirty  per  cent. ; 
yet,  in  my  opinion,  those  now  in  the  field  constitute  the 
very  best  forces  we  have.  They  are  generally  well  com 
manded,  subordinate,  and  brave  almost  to  a  fault.  Should 
this  campaign  be  wasted  in  inactivity,  the  same  expense 
and  loss  will  have  to  be  encountered  before  a  proper 
force  can  be  placed  in  the  field.  Be  assured,  Mexico  will 
never  make  peace  upon  any  terms  which  an  administra 
tion  dare  accept  until  she  has  received  some  harder  blow. 
"  My  friends  think  that  some  injustice  has  been  done 
to  me  in  accounts  of  the  battle.  The  prominent  part 
which  ruy  brigade  acted  certainly  deserves  better  no 
tice." 


JOHJNr    A.  QUITMAJS.  275 


CHAPTER  X. 

Discontent  of  Gen.  Taylor. — Expedition  to  Victoria. — Holt's  Jour 
nal. — Division  of  Quitman's  Command. — The  Mississippi  Regi 
ment. — Tampico. — Siege  of  Vera  Crnz. — Quitman's  first  Battle. 
— Alvarado  Expedition. — Marches  for  Puebla. — Question  of  Rank. 
— Correspondence  with  Gen.  Scott. — Quitman's  Freedom  from  Jeal 
ousy. — Social  Relations. 

Ox  the  fall  of  Monterey  Gen.  Worth  and  his  division 
occupied  the  city.  Gen.  Taylor,  with  the  other  divisions, 
encamped  in  the  Bosque  de  San  Domingo,  a  beautiful 
wood  three  miles  north  of  the  city.  They  lay  supine 
for  three  months,  although  it  was  apparent  to  the  army, 
and  the  general  desire,  that  a  push  should  be  made  for 
San  Luis  Potosi,  and  thence  to  the  capital.  Three  routes 
were  proposed:  1.  By  Saltillo  and  Encarnacion;  2.  By 
Saltillo  and  Parras,  through  Durango ;  3.  By  Victoria 
and  Tula.  But  there  was  no  cordiality  between  Gen. 
Taylor  and  the  secretary  of  war.  On  the  contrary,  the 
former  believed  that  there  was  a  concerted  plan  to  em 
barrass  and  disgrace  him.  He  bitterly  complained  of 
interference  with  his  command,  and  especially  of  the  di 
rect  communication  opened  by  the  secretary  with  Gen. 
Patterson,  directing  him  to  detach  a  large  body  of  troops 
and  march  upon  Tampico.  This  order  to  a  subordinate, 
in  the  presence  of  his  superior,  was  in  flagrant  violation 
of  all  military  rule,  and  neither  the  exigencies  of  the 
service,  nor  the  difficulty  of  communication  between  the 
seat  of  government  and  the  frontier,  supply  a  satisfacto 
ry  excuse.  The  example  was  pernicious,  and  became  the 
source  of  irritation  and  suspicion.  "The  President  and 


276  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

the  secretary  of  war,"  says  Stevens,  a  warm  friend  of 
the  administration,  "  experienced  as  statesmen,  were  to 
tally  inexperienced  in  military  affairs,  and  it  was  a  vio 
lation  of  the  plainest  principles  to  endeavor  to  organize 
campaigns  without  reference  to  those  who  had  made 
campaigns  their  special  study." 

On  the  6th  of  November  Gen.  Taylor  notified  the  Mex 
ican  authorities  that  the  armistice  would  terminate  on 
the  13th.  On  that  day  Gen.  Worth  and  his  division 
marched  for  Saltillo.  On  the  2d  of  December  Gen.  Ha- 
mer  died,  and,  in  the  absence  of  Maj.  Gen.  Butler,  the 
command  of  the  division  devolved  on  Gen.  Quitman. 
Gen.  Taylor  having  planned  an  expedition  to  Victoria, 
the  capital  of  Tamaulipas,  a  strong  position  on  the  line 
of  occupation  between  Monterey  and  Tampico,  dispatch 
ed  Gen.Twiggs  with  his  division  on  the  12th  of  Decem 
ber.  The  2d  infantry  and  the  2d  Tennessee  Volunteers, 
stationed  at  Camargo,  were  ordered  to  form  a  junction 
with  Twiggs  at  Montemorelos.  On  the  14th  Gen.  Quit 
man,  with  the  1st  Tennessee  regiment,  Col.  Campbell,  the 
1st  Georgia,  Col.  Jackson,  the  1st  Mississippi,  Maj.  Brad 
ford,  and  the  1st  Baltimore  battalion,  Maj.  Buchanan,  in 
all  1500  men,  took  up  the  line  of  march  on  the  same 
road  which  had  so  recently  led  them  to  victory.  A  nar 
rative  of  this  march  and  of  the  country  is  here  abridged 
from  the  journal  of  John  S.Holt,  Esq.,  military  secretary 
of  Gen.  Quitman.* 

*  Mr.  Holt  was  an  officer  of  the  "Wilkinson  County  Volunteers. 
He  has  since  represented  Natchez  in  the  Legislature,  and  is  now  a 
prominent  member  of  the  bar  of  that  city.  When  Gen.  Quitman  left 
Victoria  for  Tampico  he  sent  to  Mr.  H.  the  following  note  : 

44  Victoria,  Mexico,  Jan.  5th,  1S4T. 

"DEAR  SIR, — I  pray  you  to  take  with  you  this  note  as  a  testimo 
ny  of  my  sincere  esteem  and  affectionate  regard.  You  have  been 
acting  as  my  military  secretary  for  some  months  past,  during  which 
time  your  conduct  and  deportment  have  been  so  exemplary,  and  you 
have  displayed  so  much  intelligence  and  promptness  in  the  execution 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  277 

This  journal  gives  us  a  new  view  of  the  Rio  Grande 
provinces,  and  shows  that  they  are  well  watered,  fertile, 
and  capable  of  sustaining  an  agricultural  population. 
They  belong  by  nature  to  our  Gulf  states,  and  must,  in 
a  few  years,  be  annexed. 

"  The  men  were  in  fine  spirits.  Those  who,  when  they 
had  marched  before,  were  lean  and  sickly,  let  out  their 
belts  a  notch  or  two,  and,  slinging  their  rifles  and  mus 
kets  over  their  shoulders,  took  the  route-step  with  a 
springiness  which,  however,  was  changed  before  night. 
Crossing  the  hollow  where  the  army  was  drawn  up,  and 
below  where,  during  the  battle,  Webster's  mortar  was 
placed,  turning  the  point  of  bushes,  and  then  ascending 
the  hill,  we  had  in  our  front  a  full  view  of  the  city,  to 
ward  the  left  of  which  we  were  moving,  and  on  our 
right,  looming  over  the  plain,  the  long  line  of  wall  com 
posing  the  Black  Fort.  Standing  in  it  are  the  dark  and 
crumbling  arches  of  the  old  unfinished  cathedral,  on  the 
top  of  which  the  Mexicans  made  their  bomb-proofs. 
Soon  we  rose  the  swell  where  the  ricochet  cannon  ball 
cut  down  the  seven  Tennesseans,  and  we  had  to  march 
past  them.  Pah!  how  it  made  the  soul  shrink  in,  to  see 
the  broken  limbs,  the  blood,  to  hear  the  groans,  and  to 
see  that  one  sitting  on  a  rock,  holding  in  his  bowels,  and 
singing  a  psalm ! 

"Farther  on  we  passed  the  mud  fort  where  the  work 
of  vengeance  commenced.  A  dispute  was  raised  as  to 
which  of  the  regiments  was  foremost  in  this  most  gallant 
action  of  the  battle ;  whichever  it  was,  they  were  in  the 
same  brigade,  and  had  the  same  general. 

"  Still  farther  on  a  short  distance,  and  on  our  left,  was 
the  Taneria,  passing  which,  and  going  down  a  hill,  we 
crossed  the  channel  that  conveys  the  water  from  the 
bridge  of  La  Santa  Purissima,  the  tcte  du  pont  of  which 
proved  so  destructive  to  the  regulars. 

"Crossing  this  duct,  and  going  about  three  hundred 

yards  farther,  we  came  to  the  wide  channel  of  sand  and 

% 

of  your  duties,  as  to  win  my  highest  regard  and  to  deserve  my  sincere 
thanks.  Wherever  your  lot  may  be  cast,  be  assured  of  the  friendship 
and  esteem  of  J.  A.  QUITJIAN,  Brig.  Gen.  U.  S,  A." 


278  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OP 

rocks,  in  the  centre  of  which  runs  the  Rio  Monterey,  a 
large  creek  which  bounds  the  back  of  the  town.  Pass 
ing  this,  as  we  did  below  the  town,  we  had  on  our  right 
the  fort  called  Rincou  del  Diablo,  and  as  some  of  the 
men  saw  it,  and  remembered  what  a  c  devil's  corner'  it 
was,  a  long  whistle  would  alone  serve  to  convey  the 
wonder,  surprise,  fright,  impatience,  and  every  other  feel 
ing  which  then  agitated  them. 

"  Mounting  the  steep  bank  on  the  farther  side  of  the 
creek,  we  turned  our  backs  upon  the  city,  and  had  in 
front,  about  five  miles  off — though  we  appeared  at  its 
very  foot — the  Cerro  Silla  (Saddle  Mountain),  or,  as  we 
called  it,  the  Comanche-saddle  Peak. 

"About  four  miles  from  Monterey,  above  the  chappa- 
ral,  rises  the  white  spire  of  the  village  church  of  Gualupe. 
Through  this  little  village  we  marched ;  the  inhabitants, 
being  used  to  us,  had  their  stores  open,  and  at  the  cor 
ners  women  sold  corn  bread  and  sweet  bread,  while  the 
men  tugged  up  to  the  side  of  the  road  their  little  don 
keys  loaded  with  sugar-cane  or  oranges. 

"At  half  past  two  P.M.  we  arrived  at  the  Rio  Monte 
rey,  where  it  again  crosses  the  road,  and,  fording  it,  camp 
ed  on  the  top  of  the  hill  beyond. 

"Tuesday,  15th.  We  left  camp  about  seven  o'clock 
this  morning. 

"  To-day  we  passed  through  Cadereyta,  a  large  town 
situated  on  the  farther  bank  of  the  Rio  Monterey,  which 
we  had  again  to  cross.  Our  road  ran  through  the  plaza, 
that  necessary  part  of  every  Mexican  town,  where  are 
collected  most  of  the  sight-worthy  objects.  The  houses 
surrounding  this  one  were  of  one  and  two  stories  in 
height,  and  in  its  centre  stands  a  column  about  twenty 
feet  high,  erected,  we  were  told,  to  the  memory  of  Gen 
eral  Cadereyta.  There  was  also,  upon  one  side  of  the 
square,  the  commencement  of  a  church,  which  bids  fair 
to  be  a  fine  one,  and  in  front  of  it  were  its  bells,  sus 
pended  to  some  stout  beams,  waiting  the  completion  of 
their  belfry.  The  materials  of  which  this  church,  and 
most  of  the  larger  houses  in  this  country  are  construct 
ed,  are  a  white,  soft,  and  very  porous  limestone.  Noth 
ing  can  excel  it  for  fortifications,  as  it  will  receive  a  ball 
without  splintering,  and  is  in  fact  a  sort  of  fossil  sponge 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  279 

or  mineral  cotton-bale.  The  Block  Fort  is  built  of  it. 
The  more  common  houses  are  of  sun-dried  brick  about 
eighteen  inches  long,  eight  inches  broad,  and  four  in 
thickness,  called  adobes.  The  whole  country  being  a 
sort  of  mixture  of  brick-kiln  and  cement,  they  are  made 
without  trouble. 

"  Surrounding  the  town  is  a  deep  ditch,  which  wo 
crossed  by  a  wooden  bridge.  For  wThat  it  was  dug,  un 
less  for  a  fortification,  I  can  not  conjecture,  for  it  is  too 
deep  for  purposes  of  irrigation.  There  is  one  thing  I 
would  here  note  particularly.  The  Alcalde  of  Gualupe 
had  promised  General  Quitman  to  send  him  a  guide,  and, 
singular  to  relate,  lie  kept  his  promise.  I  wonder  if  he 
lost  caste  for  telling  the  truth  once ! 

"About  three  miles  and  a  half  from  Cadereyta,  we 
came  to  the  large  hacienda  of  Santa  Figinia  (or  Virginia), 
situated  in  the  bottom  watered  by  the  llio  Guajuke, 
which,  after  passing  near  a  mile  through  a  lane  of  brush 
fence,  w^e  crossed  and  pitched  our  camp.  It  is  a  clear, 
swift  mountain  stream,  about  a  hundred  feet  broad.  We 
found  encamped  here  a  good  many  arrieros,  with  their 
trains  of  mules,  011  their  way  to  Monterey  with  corn. 
The  dexterity  of  these  men,  and  the  docility  and  intelli 
gence  of  their  animals,  are  very  surprising.  The  pack- 
saddles  are  placed  in  a  row  when  taken  off,  and  when  the 
mules  are  driven  in  from  the  bushes,  whither  they  have 
wandered  in  search  of  food,  they  arrange  themselves, 
each  in  front  of  his  own  saddle ;  and  should  one  be  so 
unfortunate  as  to  forget  his  place,  those  on  cither  side 
soon  freshen  his  memory  with  their  heels.  What  a  les 
son  for  schoolmasters !  In  loading,  the  arrieros  place  a 
blind  over  the  eyes  of  the  mule,  and  throwing  011  each 
side  of  the  pack-saddle  a  fanega — which  is  three  bushels, 
weighing  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds — tie  them 
together  so  firmly  by  a  few  magic  turns  of  their  raw 
hide  ropes,  that  when  the  hoodwink  is  taken  off  and  the 
mule  realizes  his  situation,  he  generally,  with  a  little 
wonder  in  his  look,  follows  his  brethren  very  peaceably, 
without  any  bridle,  though  he  is  at  perfect  liberty  to  run 
away  or  kick  up  if  he  can. 

"  On  the  journey  some  arrieros  go  before,  leading  often 
a  white  mare,  which  the  mules  follow  as  though  charm- 


280  LIFE    AXD    COKEESPONDEXCE    OF 

ed ;  others  follow  on  their  prancing  little  mustangs,  the 
long  spurs  jingling,  and  with  their  short  whips  beat  the 
erratic  into  the  path  again,  vociferating,  sst  mulct !  sst, 
sst  mulct!  with  an  emphasis  and  cadence  peculiar  to 
themselves. 

"  But  that  which  involuntarily  sets  the  mouth  on  a 
broad  grin  is  to  see  a  ranchero  going  from  market  011 
his  donkey.  Seated  on  the  rump  of  the  little  animal,  as 
far  back  as  he  can  get,  his  spare,  leather-encased  legs, 
terminated  like  mauls,  dangling  down,  and  holding  in  his 
hand  a  short  stick  worn  smooth,  he  presents  a  most  lu 
dicrous  appearance. 

"  Sometimes  they  come  in  tied  by  halters  to  each 
other's  tails,  a  boy  driving  the  leader ;  and  often  you  see 
an  immense  pile  of  green  corn-stalks  moving  along  with 
out  a  wagon  or,  apparently,  any  thing  else  to  carry  it ; 
but  by  watching  closely  you  may  occasionally  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  feet  of  the  poor,  patient  little  animal 
bearing  the  load  which  covers  it,  head,  ears,  all — thus 
very  much  resembling  some  two-legged  animals  with 
their  load  of  vanity. 

"  Wednesday,  16th.  We  left  camp  early  this  morning, 
and  very  tired,  for  this  was  our  third  day's  march,  and 
old  campaigners  say  it  is  always  the  hardest.  After  this 
the  muscles  begin  to  recover  from  their  soreness.  We 
were  told  at  the  last  camp  that  we  would  find  no  water 
for  a  long  distance  after  leaving  there,  except  on  creeks 
five  miles  off;  but  we  were  agreeably  surprised  at  find 
ing  five  creeks  crossing  the  road  before  we  arrived  at  the 
Rio  de  Ramos,  where  we  camped.  When  within  about 
two  miles  of  the  camping-ground  we  passed  through  the 
village,  or  ranch,  of  La  Santa  Purissima,  a  small  cluster 
of  miserable  mud  huts,  into  each  one  of  which,  however, 
our  ranch-man  doubtless  examined  minutely. 

"  This  ranch-man,  as  he  is  called,  is  a  singular  being, 
belonging  to  one  of  the  regiments,  whose  monomania,  or 
hypochondria,  or  whatever  it  is,  perhaps  excels  that  of 
any  other  of  all  the  crazy  officers  in  the  army.  There  is 
not  a  rancho,  or  any  thing  in  the  shape  of  one  where 
humanity  can  dwell,  in  a  mile  of  the  road,  but  that  his 
long,  sallow,  anxious  face  protrudes  within  the  door,  and 
his  big,  hungry  eyes  go  wandering  over  the  rafters  and 


JOIIX   A.  QUITMAN.  281 

all  about  the  house,  in  search  of  edibles  of  any  shape  or 
character  whatever;  first  into  this  one,  then  gliding  out 
into  that,  like  the  restless  spirit  of  hunger,  he  haggles 
with  some  old  crone  for  an  egg,  or  holding  back  from 
the  suspicious  Mexican  the  string  of  dried  beef,  and  half 
hiding  it,  in  his  selfishness,  lest  some  other  spy  it  and  out 
bid  him,  he  trades  with  the  eagerness  and  sternness  of 
necessity,  and  then  his  spider-like  legs  bear  him  off 
through  the  chapparal  toward  the  inarching  line,  chuck 
ling  at  the  bargains  lie  has  made,  and  gloating  over  the 
prospect  of  the  good  big  supper  he  will  make  off  of  it. 
Wandering  from  the  road  in  this  way,  he  undergoes,  in 
his  monomania,  more  real  peril  than  he  would  like  to  do 
for  a  more  worthy  object. 

"The  Rio  de  Ramos  is  the  prettiest  and  largest  creek 
we  have  yet  seen.  At  the  ford  there  is  a  fall  of  about 
eight  feet  in  three  hundred  yards,  which  renders  it  rather 
ticklish  wading.  About  four  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
while  walking  on  the  banks,  I  was  surprised  to  see  some 
dragoons  emerge  from  the  chapparal  and  ride  into  the 
ford ;  then  came  others,  and  finally  General  Taylor  and 
staff,  and  Captain  Sibley's  supply  train,  escorted  by  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  Fowler  Hamilton,  all  of  whom 
we  had  left  in  Monterey. 

"Thursday,  17,h.  General  Taylor  left  camp  before  us 
this  morning.  Traveling  at  our  leisure,  we  had  a  very 
pleasant  march,  and  camped  within  two  miles  of  Monte 
Morelos,  at  which  place  are  concentrated  the  troops  from 
Camargo  and  those  which  preceded  us  from  Monterey. 
We  crossed  three  creeks  to-day,  and,  when  within  a  mile 
and  a  half  of  camp,  overtook  General  Taylor  and  Captain 
Sibley's  train  going  up  a  hill  so  long  and  steep  that  it 
was  necessary  to  double  teams ;  our  train  having  the 
same  difficulty,  they  did  not  all  arrive  in  camp  until  after 
dark.  General  Taylor  went  on  to  town,  and  our  di 
vision  encamped  on  an  irrigating  ditch  called  Garrapa- 
tas,  supplied,  I  presume,  from  the  Rio  Garrapatas  (Tick 
River),  which  we  crossed  some  distance  back.  Well 
does  Camp  Garrapatas  deserve  its  name,  for  the  ticks 
cover  it,  crawling  about  on  the  grass,  first  upon  one  blade, 
and  by  their  weight  bending  it  down,  then  on  to  an 
other,  and  with  their  spraddling  legs  hurrying  up  the 


282  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

stiff  seed-stems  and  the  thorn-bushes  to  look  out  for  some 
thing  to  bite. 

"About  four  o'clock  in  the  evening  four  dragoons 
passed  us  in  great  haste,  bearing  a  dispatch  from  General 
Worth,  at  Saltillo,  announcing  that  a  large  force  of  Mex 
icans  was  advancing  on  him,  and  that  he  expected  to  be 
attacked  in  three  days. 

"Friday,  18th.  Generals  Taylor  and  Twiggs,  with  the 
division  of  the  latter,  which  is  the  best  rested,  having  been 
here  for  several  days,  accompanied  by  Bragg's  battery, 
started  this  morning  for  Saltillo,  leaving  General  Quit- 
man  in  command  of  the  rest  of  the  troops,  with  orders 
to  advance  to-morrow  toward  Victoria,  where,  it  is  repre 
sented,  there  is  a  Mexican  army,  and  which  is  about  half 
way  between  Monterey  and  Tampico. 

"  General  Quitman  commenced  by  dividing  the  troops 
into  two  brigades,  the  1st  tinder  Colonel  Campbell,  of 
the  1st  Tennessee  regiment,  and  the  2d  under  Colonel 
Jackson,  of  the  Georgia  regiment,  Colonel  Davis,  of  the 
Mississippi  Rifles,  being  absent  in  the  United  States. 

"All  the  general  staff  officers  have  to  be  changed,  and, 
among  others,  the  quarter-masters,  the  one  heretofore  act 
ing  as  quarter-master  general  having  to  go  with  General 
Taylor.  The  wagons,  mules,  horses,  extra  tongues,  even 
to  the  very  nails  and  screws — all  the  paraphernalia  of  a 
large  army — he  has  had  in  his  charge,  have  to  be  count 
ed  and  passed  over,  with  the  requisite  papers,  to  another. 

"  The  1st  Tennessee  regiment  moved  into  town  to-day. 
General  Quitman  also  moved  his  quarters  within  half  a 
mile  of  town,  toward  the  mountains,  into  an  alley  of  pop 
lars,  part  of  which  has  been  destroyed. 

"  The  town  of  Monte  Morelos  is  small,  and  situated  at 
the  foot  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  on  the  I\io  Morelos,  a  swift 
mountain  creek.  This  beautiful  valley  is  apparently  very 
fertile,  and,  though  not  now  much  cultivated,  it  appears, 
from  the  numerous  irrigating  ditches  now  half  filled  up  and 
grown  over  with  grass,  and  from  the  long  alley  of  trees, 
to  have  been  at  one  time  in  a  state  of  high  improvement. 

"  Since  the  day  we  left  Monterey,  our  march  has  been 
between  two  ranges  of  mountains.  On  our  left,  about 
fifteen  miles  off,  the  Sierra  Seralvo  lies  like  a  dark  cloud 
upon  the  horizon,  and  we  march  sometimes  under  the 


JOHN    A,    QUITMAN.  283- 

vcry  shadow  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  whose  tall  peaks  tower 
high  on  our  right,  and  which  extends  as  far  as  the  eye 
can  reach — far  away,  until  it  becomes  absolutely  tantaliz 
ing,  for  we  are  told  that  our  road  lies  all  the  way  at  its 
foot,  and  every  hill  we  mount  as  we  progress  brings  in 
view  some  now  portion  in  the  distance.  We  have  no 
ticed  every  night  fires  on  the  top  of  the  Sierra  Madre 
opposite  to  our  camp.  It  has  been  very  cold  for  four 
days.  The  changes  of  the  weather  in  winter  arc  much 
more  sudden  and  violent  here  than  with  us  at  home, 
owing  to  the  northers,  which  fall  as  swift  and  withering 
as  misery  upon  the  poor. 

"  Saturday,  19th.  The  1st  Tennessee  regiment  and  part 
of  the  train  left  Monte  Morelos  very  early  this  morning. 
It  was  very  cold,  and,  though  the  creek  rushed  along 
smoking  as  if  it  had  just  boiled  up  from  a  volcano,  it 
made  our  bones  ache  as  we  waded  it,  and  the  water  came 
as  high  up  as  the  thigh,  and  it  seemed  to  cut  like  a  knife, 
and  the  round  stones  on  the  bottom  rolled  over  when 
stepped  upon  in  a  most  disagreeable  complaisant  man 
ner.  After  marching  near  two  miles,  we  came  to  the 
camp  of  the  2d  Tennessee  regiment,  which  forming  in 
our  rear  we  marched  on  about  a  mile  and  halted  to  let 
the  other  brigade  catch  up  ;  we  then  moved  on,  and,  aft 
er  a  pleasant  march,  arrived  at  Rancho  Xogales,  which  is 
about  the  fourth  of  a  mile  to  the  left  of  the  road,  and 
nine  miles  from  Monte  Morelos.  Here  we  camped,  be 
ing  informed  that  there  was  no  more  water  for  five 
leagues.  To-day  we  crossed  two  creeks. 

"  Rancho,  or  ranch,  has  become  with  our  army  the 
common  designation  for  every  sort  of  Mexican  house,  in 
every  position,  whereas,  with  the  Mexicans  themselves,  it 
has  a  particular  signification.  Xot  only  because  of  the 
sterility  of  the  soil,  but  because  also,  in  consequence  of 
the  uncertainty  of  the  rainy  season,  the  inhabitants  are 
obliged  to  resort  to  irrigation  to  make  sure  their  crops, 
no  portion  of  this  country  is  cultivated  but  the  creek 
bottoms.  Fixing  their  houses  in  some  rich  bottom,  they 
ascend  the  creek  a  distance  necessary  to  insure  the  wa 
ter  always  on  a  level  with  their  fields,  then,  building  a 
stout  stone  dam  across  it,  convey  the  water  by  means  of 
ditches  around  hills  and  through  valleys,  sometimes  for 


284  LIFE    AXD    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

several  miles,  to  where  they  wish  it.  Often,  on  the 
march,  we  have  found  a  ditch  high  up  on  the  side  of  a 
barren  hill.  Having  this  ditch  to  ran  on  the  higher  side 
of  their  fields,  which  are  divided  by  means  of  smaller 
trenches  into  beds,  when  the  crop  needs  irrigation  they 
open  gaps  here  and  there,  and,  letting  the  water  flow,  a 
man  goes  before  with  a  hoe,  and  damming  in  this  place, 
and  opening  a  trench  in  that,  soon  waters  a  large  spot  of 
ground.  To  divide  the  great  expense  of  making  dams 
and  trenches,  and  for  the  additional  purpose  of  mutual 
protection  in  this  border  country,  several  of  these  labores 
generally  lie  together,  and  the  houses  of  their  owners 
also  together,  forming  a  village,  and  this  is  called  a  rancho. 
Those  places  owned  by  the  more  opulent  persons,  and 
where  sugar  and  corn  are  cultivated  on  a  large  scale  by 
means  of  peones  and  hired  persons,  are  called  haciendas, 
from  the  verb  hacer,  to  make;  thus  being  what  we,  in 
English,  would  call  factories.  The  difference  between 
the  two,  rancho  and  hacienda,  appears,  then,  to  be  both 
in  the  number  of  the  owners  and  the  quantity  produced. 
Rancho  Xogalcs  appears  to  be  more  of  a  place  for  cattle- 
minders  and  goatherds  than  a  regular  rancho.  Situated 
on  the  side  of  a  large  hill,  we  have  from  it  a  view  of  an 
immense  basin,  shaped  like  a  tin  funnel  mashed  about  the 
centre,  formed  by  the  hills  connected  with  this,  to  which 
there  is  no  apparent  outlet.  We  can  see  our  voluntaries 
ranging  among  the  chapparal,  although  just  off  a  march, 
seeing  what  can  be  seen — a  prominent  trait  in  American 
character.  In  the  bottom  is  a  creek,  small,  but  affording 
enough  of  water. 

"  20th.  Rather  a  desolate  march  to-day  to  the  Rio 
Ramos,  a  fine  clear  stream. 

"  21st.  Passed  through  Linares,  a  town  of  7000  inhab 
itants,  surrounded  by  fields  of  corn  and  sugar-cane. 

"  22d.  Camped  on  a  fine  creek  10  miles  beyond  Linares. 

"To-day  one  of  our  Mississippians,  foot-weary  and 
straggling  in  the  rear  of  the  column,  got  up  behind  a 
ranchero  for  a  ride,  giving  him  his  rifle  to  carry.  The 
Mexican  soon  dextrously  twitched  him  off  the  horse  and 
rode  away  witli  the  weapon !  The  country  to-day  was 
rolling  and  rocky,  abounding  with  deer,  pheasants,  and 
peccanes,  an  animal  between  a  pig  and  a  porcupine. 


JOIIX    A.  QUITMAX.  285 

"  23d.  A  hilly  country;  water  scarce,  but,  for  the  first 
time  on  this  march,  plenty  of  muskeet-grass,  covering  the 
ground  like  a  mat,  knee-deep ;  camped  on  the  River 
Parida,  amid  rich  cane  and  corn  fields,  and  parrots  by 
the  thousand  screaming*  around  us. 

"Dec.  24th.  Left  the  camp  about  seven  o'clock  this 
morning.  El  Pilon,  or  Sugar-loaf  Mountain,  was  point 
ed  out  to  us  as  the  landmark  of  Villa  Gran,  which  is 
about  six  miles  off.  This  peak,  rising  to  a  great  height 
above  those  which  surround  it,  is  quite  conspicuous. 

"  Gen.  Quitman,  Lieut.  Lovcll,  his  aid,  and  the  rest  of 
his  staff,  together  with  Lieut.  Meadc,  of  the  Topograph 
ical  Engineers,  Lieut.  Thomas,  commanding  the  battery, 
and  Col.  Kinney,  the  Texan,  rode  ahead  to  take  breakfast 
in  state  at  Villa  Gran. 

"  Gen.  Quitman  has  acted  wisely  in  accepting  these  in 
vitations,  for  he  thus  quiets  the  fears,  and,  by  showing  con 
fidence,  gains  the  confidence  of  the  inhabitants.  There 
is  not  another  general  in  the  volunteer  or  regular  service 
Avho  has  as  much  high  moral  influence  over  his  officers 
and  men,  or  one  who  has  a  more  excellent  aptitude  for 
procuring  respect  for  his  country  from  the  enemy.  By 
only  acting  out  the  impulses  of  his  good  heart,  he  could 
gain  the  love  of  all ;  but  by  uniting  to  these  wisdom  and 
firmness,  and  meting  out  even-handed  justice,  he  has 
gained  the  highest  respect.  Xo  man  has  done  more  for 
the  volunteer  service  than  he.  By  restraining  and  pun 
ishing,  severely  when  necessary,  the  excesses  of  the  bad; 
by  acting  as  a  polite  gentleman  to  all ;  and,  though  the 
most  essentially  military  in  appearance  and  manners  of 
the  volunteer  generals,  never  putting  on  that  tragico- 
devilish  voice  and  action  thought  by  so  many  others  to 
be  a  necessary  component  of  the  true  military  character; 
in  fine,  bringing  the  character  of  martinet  down  to  that 
of  a  just  judge,  a  humane  man,  and  an  amiable  and  polite 
gentleman,  his  men  come  to  him  in  confidence  as  to  a 
friend,  and  his  brigade  has  become  as  celebrated  for  good 
conduct  in  camp  and  on  the  march  as  it  was  for  terrible 
courage  in  the  conflict. 

"Dec.  25th  (Christmas).  The  road  to-day  was  tolera 
bly  good ;  the  hills,  if  in  any  thing  differing,  were  more 
abrupt,  but  there  were  still  the  same  stunted  chapparal, 


286  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

disagreeable  prickly-pear  bushes,  and  infinity  of  stones  of 
all  sizes,  from  the  minute  pebble  to  the  lofty  mountain. 

"  Soon  after  leaving  camp,  a  deputation  from  Hidalgos 
waited  on  the  general  for  the  purpose  of  surrendering 
their  town,  on  which  we  were  advancing.  When  within 
about  two  miles  of  the  town,  we  passed  through  an  ex 
tensive  forest,  bordering  the  banks  of  a  fine  creek.  It 
must  have  been  quite  a  mile  and  a  half  in  breadth,  and  it 
was  delightful  to  pass  from  the  glare  of  the  hot  sun  (al 
though  on  Christmas-day)  into  the  cool,  quiet  shade.  I 
wonder  if  the  grave  is  not,  to  some  good  men,  like  this 
wood  was  to  us  ? 

"About  noon  we  passed  through  Hidalgos.  The  town 
is  as  small  as  Villa  Gran,  and  looked  very  desolate  and 
ruinous.  In  place  of  a  stone  column,  as  at  Cadereyta, 
there  was  in  the  centre  of  the  plaza  a  palm-tree,  standing 
solitary,  far  from  its  companions  of  the  grove.  It  com 
pleted  a  sad  picture. 

"After  leaving  Hidalgos  we  passed  two  creeks,  one 
near  the  town,  the  other  about  two  miles  off,  called  the 
San  Jose,  upon  which  we  camped. 

"  The  nights  in  this  climate  are  beautiful ;  and  which, 
of  all  the  nights  in  the  year,  should  be  more  so  than  this 
— Christmas-night ! 

"  Dec.  20th.  We  left  camp  early  this  morning,  and,  aft 
er  going  about  nine  miles,  and  finding  there  was  no  other 
water  for  twelve  miles  farther,  camped  on  the  Rio  Mec 
ca,  or  Rio  d.3  la  Purificacion,  near  a  ranch  called  the 
Chopo.  Saw  a  good  many  very  large  rabbits  about  the 
camp :  their  color  is  gray,  and  they  are  about  three  times 
as  large  as  our  common  rabits.  The  river  upon  which 
we  have  camped  is  very  swift,  and  much  larger  than  any 
other  we  have  yet  crossed. 

"  27th.  An  alarm  to-day.  Our  men  on  the  qui  vive, 
and  anxious  for  a  fight.  No  such  luck.  3  P.M.  emerged 
from  the  hills  into  an  extensive  plain,  in  which  stands 
the  hacienda  of  Don  Simion  Porl,  a  French  physician,  the 
largest  and  best  cultivated  plantation  we  have  yet  seen. 
The  sugar  here  is  made  into  pileusi  (little  sugar-loaves) 
resembling  maple-sugar,  which  are  transported  on  mules 
to  the  large  cities  to  be  refined.  The  orchards  were  lux 
uriant  with  the  orange,  lime,  lemon,  and  shaddock,  plant- 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  287 

eel  regularly  and  watered  by  little  artificial  rills.  A  de 
tachment  of  250  Mexican  cavalry  camped  here  last  night, 
and  left  early  for  Victoria. 

"28th.  Having  no  cavalry,  and  feeling  the  need  of  it, 
Gen.  Qnitman  to-day  organized  a  troop,  and  placed  it 
under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Patterson,  an  active  and 
enterprising  officer  of  the  1st  Mississippi  regiment.  They 
went  immediately  on  a  scout. 

"  29th.  The  road  to-day  was  good,  and  plenty  of  water. 
A  deputation  from  Victoria  came  out  and  surrendered 
the  town.  We  marched  in,  formed  on  the  plaza,  and 
took  possession  of  the  government-house,  where  Gen. 
Quitman  took  up  his  quarters. 

"  Dec.  30th.  Our  march  to  this  place  has  been  made 
over  a  country  never  before  penetrated  by  our  army — a 
barren,  rugged  country,  filled  with  inhospitable  and  hos 
tile  inhabitants,  who,  before  we  passed,  would  have  call 
ed  upon  the  rocks  and  stones  to  blast  us  "from  their  pres 
ence.  Through  this  there  passed  an  army  of  volunteers 
— a  kind  of  force  thought  almost  incapable  of  control- 
commanded,  it  is  true,  by  officers,  but  the  bands  of  au 
thority  were  placed  upon  them  by  their  own  permission, 
and,  like  the  green  withes  upon  Samson,  might  have  been 
snapped  in  a  moment,  as  tow  when  touched  by  the  fire. 
We  had,  as  incumbrances,  immense  quantities  of  baggage, 
extra  supplies,  mules,  wagons,  and  all  the  paraphernalia 
necessary  for  the  transportation  and  continued  support 
of  our  force. 

"  But,  to  crown  this  formidable  list  of  obstacles,  we 
were  at  this  critical  period  placed  under  the  command  of 
a  brigadier  general  of  volunteers,  a  man  who,  but  three 
or  four  months  before,  had  been  in  his  first  battle — who, 
although  his  masterly  mind  and  cool  courage  had  been 
tried  in  the  actual  conflict,  had  never  yet  been  tested  as 
to  his  powers  of  endurance,  his  capacity  for  a  long-con 
tinued  draw  upon  his  military  resources,  his  capability 
for  supporting  a  burden  under  which  men  of  far  longer 
experience  have  found  their  shoulders  ache,  and  which 
they  have  been  obliged  to  resign.  Gen.  Taylor,  in  this 
instance,  was  sagacious,  for,  under  Gen.  Quitman,  the 
rugged  steep  was  patiently  surmounted ;  the  enemy  re 
tired  ;  that  worse  enemy,  the  hate  of  the  inhabitants,  was 


288  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

conquered ;  volunteer  troops  proved  themselves  to  be 
most  efficient,  and,  controlled  by  wisdom  and  kindness, 
forgot  their  superior  physical  power,  and  extorted  an 
approving  glance  even  from  their  denouncers.  On  the 
whole  march  we  lost  not  a  man,  or  even  a  mule — a  thing, 
we  doubt  not,  unparalleled  in  the  marchings  in  Mexico. 
Gen.  Quitman  seldom  dismounted  from  his  horse  to  take 
his  rest  until  every  part  of  the  army  and  train  were  safe 
in  their  places  in  camp. 

"January  4th,  1847.  Gen.  Taylor  arrived  from  Monte- 
cry  with  the  troops  he  had  taken  back  with  him.  Col. 
Jefferson  Davis  came  with  him. 

"  Gen.  Patterson  arrived  from  Matamoras  with  the  3d 
and  4th  regiments  of  Illinois  troops,  the  Tennessee  horse, 
and  Lieut.  Gibbon's  section  of  artillery. 

"  Jan.  6th.  Major  Williams,  of  the  Georgia  regiment, 
is  acting  governor  of  the  town,  and  affairs  go  on  quite 
smoothly. 

"  Gen.  Taylor  visited  the  Illinois  Volunteers  yesterday, 
and  the  way  the  boys  crowded  around  him  threatened 
immediate  suffocation.  By  way  of  salutation,  I  verily 
believe  the  old  general  pulled  at  his  cap  live  thousand 
times,  and  I  was  looking  every  minute  to  see  him  pull  the 
front-piece  off.  The  general  was  mounted  on  a  large  and 
gentle  mule,  while  his  orderly  rode  a  splendid  dragoon 
horse,  and  was  himself  dressed  in  a  clean  and  handsome 
uniform,  while  the  general  had  on  that  same  old  black 
frock-coat,  and  a  big  Mexican  straw  hat.  Mr.  Fannin, 
the  orderly,  got  about  six  salutes  to  Taylor's  one,  the 
c  Suckers'  taking  him  for  the  general,  and  wondering  why 
they  called  him  old  Taylor.  When  at  last  they  found  out 
that  the  old  ranchero  was  the  sure-enough  general,  they 
inferred  from  his  plain  appearance  that  it  would  be  noth 
ing  amiss  to  offer  him  a  hand  to  shake,  and  they  went 
at  it  with  such  good-will,  that  by  the  time  the  two  regi 
ments  finished  squeezing  it,  there  could  have  been  little 
feeling  left  in  it.  As  he  rode  off,  there  were  many  who 
wondered  whether  that  was  the  animal  on  which  he 
charged  the  Mexicans." 

"  We  have  now  at  this  point  a  very  pretty  little  army. 
Gen.  Taylor  is  here  with  all  his  staff — Gen.  Twiggs,  with 
the  1st,  2d,  3d,  and  7th  regular  infantry — the  2d  dra- 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAX.  289 

goons,  mounted  riflemen,  and  Bragg's  battery,  all  num 
bering  1900  men.  Gen.  Patterson  has  the  regiment  of 
mounted  Tennesseans,  two  regiments  of  Illinois  infantry, 
two  companies  of  artillery,  and  a  company  of  sappers 
and  miners,  making  in  all  a  little  over  1700  men.  Gen. 
Quitman  has  the  two  regiments  of  Tennessee  infantry, 
1st  Mississippi  do.,  1st  Georgia  do.,  and  the  Baltimore 
battalion,  and  his  total  will  not  fall  short  of  2100  effect 
ive  men — so  that  all  together  we  can  present  to  an  ene 
my  5700  men."* 

On  the  15th  it  was  announced  in  general  orders  that 
General  Taylor  would  return  to  Monterey,  to  continue 
on  the  frontier,  and  the  rest  of  the  command  would  pro 
ceed  to  Tampico,  under  orders  from  Major  General  Scott. 
General  Taylor  decided  to  take  the  1st  Mississippi  regi 
ment  with  him,  much  to  the  regret  of  General  Quitman, 
but  fortunately  for  the  glory  of  that  celebrated  corps. 
Soon  afterward  they  took  a  brilliant  and  decisive  part  in 
the  great  battle  of  Buena  Vista,  and  their  heroic  leader 
won  imperishable  fame. 

The  battle  of  BUENA  VISTA  belongs  to  the  general 
history  of  the  war,  but  as  a  Mississippian  I  may  be  par 
doned  for  referring  to  the  brilliant  and  decisive  part 
taken  in  it  by  the  Mississippi  Rifles  under  the  command 
of  Col.  Jefferson  Davis. 

The  battle  had  been  racrinff  some  time  with  fluctuat- 

O        O 

ing  fortunes,  and  was  setting  against  us,  when  Gen.  Tay 
lor,  with  Col.  Davis  and  others,  arrived  on  the  field. 
Several  regiments  (which  were  subsequently  rallied  and 
fought  bravely)  were  in  full  retreat ;  O'Brien,  after  hav 
ing  his  men  and  horses  completely  cut  up,  had  been  com 
pelled  to  draw  off  his  guns,  and  Bragg,  with  almost  su 
perhuman  energy,  was  sustaining  the  brunt  of  the  fight. 
Many  officers  of  distinction  had  fallen.  Col.  Davis  rode 
forward  to  examine  the  positions  of  the  enemy,  and  con- 

*  Letter  from  "Chapparal,"  in  New  Orleans  Delta. 
VOL.  I.— X 


290  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

eluding  that  the  best  way  to  arrest  our  fugitives  would 
be  to  make  a  bold  demonstration,  he  resolved  at  once  to 
nttac-k  the  enemy,  there  posted  in  force,  immediately  in 
front,  supported  by  cavalry,  and  two  divisions  in  reserve 
in  his  rear.  It  was  a  resolution  bold  almost  to  rashness, 
but  the  emergency  was  pressing.  With  a  handful  of 
Indiana  Volunteers,  who  still  stood  by  their  brave  old 
colonel  (Bowles),  and  his  own  regiment,  he  advanced  at 
double-quick  time,  firing  as  he  advanced.  His  own 
brave  fellows  fell  fast  under  the  rolling  musketry  of  the 
enemy,  but  their  rapid  and  fatal  volleys  carried  dismay 
and  death  into  the  adverse  ranks.  A  deep  ravine  sep 
arated  the  combatants.  Leaping  into  it,  the  Mississippi- 
ans  soon  appeared  on  the  other  side,  and  with  a  shout 
that  was  heard  over  the  battle-field,  they  poured  in  a 
well-directed  fire,  and  rushed  upon  the  enemy.  Their 
deadly  aim  and  wild  enthusiasm  were  irresistible.  The 
Mexicans  fled  in  confusion  to  their  reserves,  and  Davis 
seized  the  commanding  position  they  had  occupied.  He 
next  fell  upon  a  party  of  cavalry,  and  compelled  it  to  fly, 
with  the  loss  of  their  leader  and  other  officers.  Imme 
diately  afterward  a  brigade  of  lancers,  1000  strong,  were 
seen  approaching  at  a  gallop,  in  beautiful  array,  with 
sounding  bugles  and  fluttering  pennons.  It  was  an  ap 
palling  spectacle,  but  not  a  man  flinched  from  his  posi 
tion.  The  time  between  our  devoted  band  and  eternity 
seemed  brief  indeed.  But  conscious  that  the  eye  of  the 
army  was  upon  them,  that  the  honor  of  Mississippi  was 
at  stake,  and  knowing  that,  if  they  gave  way,  or  were 
ridden  down,  our  unprotected  batteries  in  the  rear,  upon 
which  the  fortunes  of  the  day  depended,  would  be  cap 
tured,  each  man  resolved  to  die  in  his  place  sooner  than 
retreat.  Not  the  Spartan  martyrs  at  Thermopylae — not 
the  sacred  battalion  *of  Epaminondas — not  the  tenth  le 
gion  of  Julius  Caesar — not  the  Old  Guard  of  Napoleon 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  291 

ever  evinced  more  fortitude  than  these  young  volun 
teers  in  a  crisis  when  deatli  seemed  inevitable.  They 
stood  like  statues,  as  frigid  and  motionless  as  the  marble 
itself.  Impressed  with  this  extraordinary  firmness,  when 
they  had  anticipated  panic  and  flight,  the  lancers  ad 
vanced  more  deliberately,  as  though  they  saw  for  the 
first  time  the  dark  shadow  of  the  fate  that  was  impend 
ing  over  them.  Col.  Davis  had  thrown  his  men  into  the 
form  of  a  re-entering  angle  (familiarly  known  as  his  fa 
mous  V  movement),  both  flanks  resting  on  ravines,  the 
lancers  coming  down  on  the  intervening  ridge.  This 
exposed  them  to  a  converging  fire,  and  the  moment  they 
came  within  rifle  range  each  man  singled  out  his  object, 
and  the  whole  head  of  the  column  fell.  A  more  deadly 
fire  was  never  delivered,  and  the  brilliant  array  recoiled 
and  retreated,  paralyzed  and  dismayed. 

Shortly  afterward,  the  Mexicans  having  concentrated 
a  large  force  on  the  right  for  their  final  attack,  Col.  Davis 
was  ordered  in  that  direction.  His  regiment  had  been 
in  action  all  day,  exhausted  by  thirst  and  fatigue,  much 
reduced  by  the  carnage  of  the  morning  engagement,  and 
many  in  the  ranks  suffering  from  wounds,  yet  the  noble 
fellows  moved  at  double-quick  time.  Bowles's  little  band 
of  Indiana  Volunteers  still  acted  with  them.  After  march 
ing  several  hundred  yards  they  perceived  the  Mexican  in 
fantry  advancing,  in  three  lines,  upon  Bragg's  battery, 
which,  though  entirely  unsupported,  held  its  position  with 
a  resolution  worthy  of  his  fame.  The  pressure  upon  him 
stimulated  the  Mississippians.  They  increased  their  speed, 
and  when  the  enemy  were  within  one  hundred  yards  of 
the  battery  and  confident  of  its  capture,  they  took  him 
in  flank  and  reverse,  and  poured  in  a  raking  and  destruc 
tive  fire.  This  broke  his  right  line,  and  the  rest  soon 
gave  w^ay  and  fell  back  precipitately.  Here  Col.  Davis 
was  severely  wounded. 


292  LIFE    AND    CORKESPOXDENCE    OF 

The  V  movement  has  been  recently  criticised  as  neither 
original  nor  meritorious.  The  reverse  is  true.  At  Wa 
terloo  there  was  a  movement  somewhat  similar,  but  dif 
fering  in  essentials.  By  looking  at  a  detail  map  of  that 
great  battle,  it  will  be  seen  that  some  Hanoverian  caval 
ry  were  thrown  out  before  the  position  occupied  by  a 
body  of  infantry,  at  the  intersection  of  two  main  roads, 
near  Quatrebras.  Some  French  hussars,  as  soon  as  the 
cavalry  of  the  allies  had  passed  beyond  the  wood  which 
covered  their  movement,  charged,  and  drove  them  at 
full  speed  back  on  the  supporting  infantry.  The  infant 
ry  formed  along  the  ditch  of  the  two  roads,  so  as  to  oc 
cupy  two  sides  of  a  square,  the  apex  toward  the  enemy ; 
and  when  the  pursuing  hussars  were  sufficiently  uncov 
ered,  the  two  lines  obliquing,  concentrated  so  deadly  a 
fire  upon  the  French  they  were  compelled  to'  retreat. 
This  case — the  only  one  cited — is  not  only  different,  but 
is,  in  fact,  the  very  opposite  of  what  occurred  at  Buena 
Vista.  They  formed  a  salient,  we  a  re-entering  angle. 
Theirs  was  the  ordinary  disposition  of  troops  who,  not 
having  time  to  "  form  square,"  "  re-fuse  one  wing"  to  re 
pel  attack ;  ours  the  novel  proceeding  of  inviting  cav 
alry  inside  of  infantry  lines.  If  such  a  movement  was 
ever  made  before,  I  can  not  find  it  in  military  history 
from  Plutarch  to  Napier.  The  great  Wellington,  who 
knew  something  of  the  art  of  war,  and  who  kept  his  eye 
upon  the  map  and  traced  the  operations  of  Taylor  and 
Scott,  pronounced  this  movement  new  and  masterly. 

The  other  criticism,  that  there  was  no  peculiar  merit 
in  it,  because  it  was  a  palpable  necessity  forced  upon 
Col.  Davis  by  the  nature  of  the  ground,  is  fallacious.  If 
a  soldier,  driven  by  necessity,  seizes  upon  the  accidents 
of  ground  to  defend  his  position,  and  thus  achieves  vic 
tory  instead  of  suffering  defeat,  he  would  be  entitled  to 
the  highest  military  praise ;  and  such  has  been  the  award 


JOHN    A.  QTJITMAN.  '293 

from  Ca?sar  to  Turcnnc,  and  from  Jackson  to  Taylor. 
In  our  case,  moreover,  it  was  not  an  absolute  necessity. 
It  was  a  bold  experiment,  a  desperate  hazard  voluntarily 
encountered  (by  an  officer  who  knew  his  men  and  the 
weapons  they  carried),  to  save  from  capture  our  unpro 
tected  batteries,  then  holding  the  key  of  the  battle-field. 
The  reports  of  Gen.  Taylor,  Gen.  Jo.  Lane,  and  other 
distinguished  officers,  bear  testimony  to  the  great  talent, 
coolness,  and  courage  evinced  on  the  field  by  Col.  Davis, 
and  the  intrepidity  of  his  troops. 

Maj.  Gen.  Patterson,  now  in  command  of  Victoria, 
marched  forthwith  to  Tampico,  from  which  point  the 
troops  were  transported  to  the  island  of  Lobos,  where 
Gen.  Scott  organized  the  army  of  invasion.  Quitman's 
command  (a  part  of  Patterson's  division)  consisted  of 
the  South  Carolina,  Georgia,  and  Alabama  regiments. 

1847.  On  the  9th  of  February  the  troops  disembarked 
near  Yera  Cruz,  and  on  the  10th  the  investment  com 
menced.  Patterson's  division  had  the  honor  of  the  first 
brush  with  the  enemy.  Gen.  Pillow  drove  before  him, 
after  a  brisk  fire,  a  strong  detachment  of  skirmishers,  and 
seized  the  hacienda  Malibran  and  a  magazine  near  by. 
On  the  llth,  Gen.  Quit-man  was  ordered  to  relieve  Pil 
low.  An  extract  from  his  report  succinctly  details  the 
operations  of  the  day : 

"  My  command,  the  Georgia  regiment,  Col.  Jackson,  in 
advance,  was  moved  to  the  heights  at  an  early  hour  in 
the  morning.  The  enemy  appeared  on  the  sand-hills  in 
front  of  us  in  considerable  force.  "While  the  South  Ca 
rolina  regiment  was  forming  the  enemy  opened  a  fire  at 
long  range,  but  soon  pushed  forward  strong  parties  of 
infantry,  whose  escopettes  were  quite  annoying  to  a  por 
tion  of  our  line.  At  the  same  moment  a  considerable 
body  of  cavalry  made  a  demonstration  on  our  right.  A 
brisk  cannonade  from  the  city  opened  upon  us,  and  there 


294  LIFE   AXD    CORRESPONDENCE    OP 

was  reason  to  expect  a  serious  effort  to  drive  us  from  our 
position.  I  had  just  completed  my  dispositions  for  a 
movement  against  the  enemy,  when  Maj.  Gen.  Patterson 
and  staff  rode  tip.  He  approved  of  my  arrangements, 
and  left  their  execution  to  me.  Capt.  Davis's  rifle  com 
pany,  Georgia  regiment,  was  thrown  forward  as  sharp 
shooters.  Lieut.  Col.  Dickinson,  of  the  South  Carolina 
regiment,  was  directed  to  advance  with  two  companies 
to  the  right,  to  cover  the  rifles  and  watch  the  Mexican 
cavalry,  about  500  strong,  manoeuvring  on  our  right. 
Capt.  Davis  soon  became  actively  engaged.  He  was 
joined  by  Capt.  Sumpter,  with  his  company  of  South 
Carolinians.  Under  the  effective  fire  of  these  companies 
the  Mexican  infantry  were  soon  driven  from  their  ad 
vanced  positions,  but  still  continuing  to  menace  our  right. 
Maj.  Gladden  was  sent  forward  with  the  companies  of 
Capts.  Moffatt,  Secrist,  and  Marshall,  of  the  Carolina  regi 
ment.  This  movement,  with  the  effective  fire  from  our 
skirmishers,  compelled  the  enemy  to  retire  from  the 
neighboring  heights,  though  not  without  some  loss  on 
our  side.  "Lieut.  Col.  Dickinson,  while  gallantly  leading 
the  advance  detachment,  was  severely  wounded  by  a 
musket  ball  in  the  breast,  and  likewise  several  officers 
and  privates  of  the  several  regiments.  Col.  Dickinson, 
though  suffering  much,  refused  to  leave  the  field.  My 
whole  command  displayed  the  utmost  coolness  and  anx 
iety  to  meet  the  enemy." 

The  general-in-chief  determined  to  reduce  Yera  Cruz 
by  bombardment.  His  batteries  were  judiciously  lo 
cated,*  and,  after  having  vainly  summoned  the  city  to 

*  Three  of  them  by  Lieut.  Beauregard  (now  brevet  major,  U.  S. 
Engineers),  a  native  of  Louisiana,  distinguished  in  almost  every  battle 
from  Vera  Cruz  to  the  Bclen  Gate,  and  honorably  mentioned  by  the 
general-in-chief,  and  by  Quitman,  Smith,  Shields,  and  others  in  their 
reports.  Gen.  Pierce,  just  before  bis  election  to  the  presidency,  in  a 
private  letter  to  the  author,  thus  referred  to  this  officer  : 

"Do  you  know  Major  (formerly  Lieutenant)  Beauregard,  of  the  en 
gineer  corps?  His  father's  residence  is  near  Isew  Orleans,  and  he 
was  there  when  I  last  heard  from  him.  If  you  do  not,  I  wish  you  to 
make  his  acquaintance.  He  is  a  man  of  rare  attainments,  and,  like 
many  Louisianians  whom  I  have  met  in  the  army  and  elsewhere,  he 
combines  the  best  qualities  of  a  gentleman  and  a  soldier. 


JOHN    A.    QUmiAN.  205 

surrender,  lie  opened  upon  it  in  the  afternoon  of  the 
22d. 

On  the  25th  a-  prisoner  informed  the  general-in-chief 
that  Santa  Anna  was  advancing  with  6000  men  to  raise 
the  siege.  Gen.  Patterson  was  ordered  to  push  one  of 
his  brigades  to  the  extreme  left  to  maintain  the  ground 
occupied  by  the  first  and  second  infantry,  who  were 
transferred  to  another  position.  Gen.  Quitman  was  se 
lected  for  this  post  of  honor.  The  report,  however, 
proved  erroneous,  and  next  day  the  city  surrendered. 

Gen.  Scott,  having  planned  an  expedition  by  sea  and 
land  to  Alvarado,  a  city  in  one  of  the  most  fertile  dis 
tricts  of  Mexico,  and  which  had  contributed  largely  to 
the  commissariat  of  the  enemy,  directed  Maj.  Gen.  Pat 
terson  to  hold  a  brigade  in  readiness.  "  Besides  cap 
turing  the  city  and  forts,"  said  the  general-in-chief,  "  the 
object  is  to  conciliate  the  good-will  of  the  inhabitants 
along  the  route,  and  to  encourage  them  to  supply  the 
army  with  mules  and  fresh  provisions — much  wanted  for 
our  advance  into  the  interior." 

Gen.  Quitman  was  designated  for  this  important  un 
dertaking,  and  reported  at  once  to  head-quarters.  His 
instructions  were  as  follows : 

"  Head-quarters  of  the  Army,  Vera  Cruz,  March  30th,  1847. 
"  Sir,, — You  are  designated  with  your  brigade,  a  sec 
tion  of  Steptoe's  field  battery,  and  a  squadron  of  dra- 
o-oons,  for  a  land  expedition,  in  co-operation  with  a  naval 
force,  in  the  direction  of  Alvarado,  and  you  have  been 
placed  in  communication  with  Commodore  Perry,  com 
manding  U.  S.  Home  Squadron,  on  the  subject.  *  *  * 
The  general  objects  of  this  expedition  are  to  capture  the 
city  of  Alvarado  and  places  in  its  vicinity,  including  the 
works  near  the  mouth  of  the  river  leading  from  that 

"Pray  write  me  all  that  concerns  yourself,  and  come  in  the  sum 
mer  and  visit  our  mountains,  farm-houses,  and  battle-fields. 

11  Very  sincerely  your  friend,  FRANK.  PIERCK. 

"Col.  ,T.  V.  II.  Claibome." 


296  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OP 

city — in  all  of  which  you  will  zealously  co-operate  with, 
and,  no  doubt,  be  powerfully  aided  by  the  naval  force. 
The  rule  of  co-operation  between  land  and  naval  forces 
is,  that  the  commander  of  each  branch  of  the  service 
shall  consult  freely  with  the  other  commander,  and  when 
the  object  and  manner  of  attack  shall  be  jointly  determ 
ined  upon,  each  commander  in  good  faith  and  to  the 
extent  of  his  power  shall  carry  out  his  part  of  the  serv 
ice.  Consequently,  the  commander  of  neither  branch  of 
the  service  can,  strictly  speaking,  give  orders  to  the  oth 
er  branch.  But  great  deference  will  always  be  shown 
by  one  command  to  the  other.  I  presume  that  the  time 
for  reaching  the  objects  of  attack  has  been  settled  be 
tween  Com.  Perry  and  yourself;  you  will  commence  your 
march  accordingly.  With  great  confidence  in  your  zeal, 
abilities,  and  judgment,  and  wishing  you  full  success,  I 
am,  sir,  etc.,  etc.  WINFIELD  SCOTT." 

Quitman's  official  report  will  show  the  result  of  this 
expedition. 

"Head-quarters  2d  Brigade,  Volunteer  Division,  ) 
Camp,  Vera  Cruz,  April  7th,  1 847.  } 

"  SIE, — I  have  the  honor  to  submit  a  brief  report  of 
the  expedition  to  Alvarado,  writh  which  I  was  charged 
by  orders  from  the  commander-in-chief. 

"My  command,  consisting  of  the  regiments  from  Geor 
gia,  Alabama,  South  Carolina,  a  squadron  of  dragoons, 
under  Major  Beall,  and  a  section  of  artillery,  under  com 
mand  of  Lieutenant  Judd,  left  their  camp  about  3  o'clock 
P.M.  on  the  30th  of  March,  and  advanced  that  evening  to 
the  mouth  of  Madelin  River,  when  we  encamped.  I  had 
previously  arranged  with  Commodore  Perry  a  plan  of  co 
operation  for  the  expedition  against  Alvarado,  in  which 
it  was  stipulated  that,  whether  resistance  were  made  or 
not,  the  land  and  naval  forces  would  efiect  an  entrance 
at  the  same  time,  and  act  conjointly  with  each  other.  In 
crossing  the  Madelin  River,  on  the  morning  of  the  31st, 
I  was  greatly  indebted  to  the  assistance  of  the  navy,  in 
preparing  a  bridge  of  boats,  under  the  energetic  direc 
tion  of  Lieutenant  "Whitwell,  first  lieutenant  of  the  Ohio 
ship  of  the  line.  The  march  on  the  31st  lay  partly  along 
the  beach,  through  deep  sand,  and  partly  over  a  plain 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAX.  297 

country,  in  rear  of  Lizardo.  On  the  1st  of  March  [April] 
we  again  struck  the  beach,  and  pursued  it  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Alvarado  liivcr  with  the  infantry  and  train.  I 
reached  the  town  of  Alvarado  with  the  cavalry  on  the 
evening  of  the  1st  of  March  [April],  about  half  an  hour 
after  Commodore  Perry  had  landed  there.  In  the  mean 
time,  when  about  fifteen  miles  from  the  town,  I  had  re 
ceived  a  note  from  Midshipnfan  Temple,  of  the  steamer 
Scourge,  informing  me  that  the  town  had  surrendered, 
and  requesting  the  commander  of  the  land-forces  to  hold 
it.  This  note  is  annexed  to  this  report.  Immediately 
upon  my  arrival  Commodore  Perry  expressed  to  me  his 
disapproval  of  the  act  of  Mr.  Hunter,  the  commander  of 
the  Scourge,  in  landing ;  and  has,  I  learn,  signified  it  more 
publicly  by  the  arrest  of  that  officer. 

"My  command  wras  posted  in  the  town  during  my 
stay  there.  On  the  2d,  Commodore  Perry,  in  the  steam 
er  Spitfire,  proceeded  up  the  river  to  the  town  of  Tlaca- 
talpa,  having  invited  me  to  join  him.  My  presence  be 
ing  required  in  camp,  I  sent  with  the  expedition  Lieu 
tenant  Derby,  of  the  topographical  engineers.  Commis 
sioners  from  that  town  conferred  with  the  commodore 
and  myself  at  Alvarado.  They  had  made  an  uncondi 
tional  surrender  of  their  town  and  the  neighboring  coun 
try  to  our  arms,  and  promised  to  furnish  a  number  of 
horses,  at  least  500,  to  the  quarter-master's  department, 
at  low  prices.  The  town  of  Alvarado  contains  about 
1200  to  1500  inhabitants,  most  of  whom,  however,  had 
fled  on  our  approach.  With  the  surrender  of  the  town 
there  fell  into  the  hands  of  our  naval  and  military  forces 
twenty-two  pieces  of  artillery,  some  ammunition,  and 
military  equipments  of  minor  value,  all  of  which  were 
left  in  the  possession  of  the  naval  forces  on  our  depart 
ure,  as  the  common  capture  of  the  naval  and  land  forces. 
On  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  April  my  command  left 
Alvarado,  and  reached  its  camp  at  Vera  Cruz  on  the 
forenoon  of  the  Qth,  having  again  been  indebted  to  the 
active  and  prompt  assistance  of  First  Lieut.  Whitwell, 
of  the  navy,  and  the  officers  under  his  command,  in  cross 
ing  the  Madelin  at  its  mouth.  I  have  the  pleasure  to 
report  that,  although  the  leading  objects  of  the  expedi 
tion  had  been  anticipated  by  the  surrender  of  the  city, 
N  2 


298  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

the  other  objects  designated  in  my  instructions  have 
been  fully  accomplished.  The  Mexican  population  to 
the  southward  of  this  point  have  been  conciliated  by  the 
exemplary  conduct  of  the  troops.  On  my  departure  from 
Alvarado  I  had  the  gratification  to  receive  the  thanks 
of  the  alcalde,  the  cura,  and  the  principal  men,  for  the 
protection  afforded  to  them  and  to  their  property.  I 
feel  perfectly  assured  that  our  march  has  made  a  favor 
able  impression  upon  the  inhabitants.  Communications 
have  been  opened  with  the  people  of  the  fertile  country 
near  the  River  Alvarado,  and  negotiations  opened  for 
supplies  of  horses  and  beef  cattle,  in  which  the  country 
abounds.  Lieutenant  Mason,  of  the  engineer  corps,  was 
detailed  to  accompany  the  expedition.  He  joined  my 
staff,  and  performed,  at  his  own  request,  the  duty  of  su 
perintending  the  pioneers  in  the  repairs  of  the  roads, 
and  greatly  facilitated  the  march  by  his  attention  to  this 
matter.  His  report  to  me,  which  is  transmitted,  will  show 
the  description  and  calibre  of  the  captured  guns.  Lieu 
tenant  Derby,  of  the  topographical  engineers,  volunteer 
ed  to  act  generally  on  my  staff,  and  was  zealous  and  act 
ive  in  the  duties  assigned  him.  For  the  order  and  good 
conduct  of  my  command  I  am  also  greatly  indebted  to 
the  active  assistance  of  Captain  Deas,  assistant  adjutant 
general,  and  to  the  respective  commanders  of  the  regi 
ments  and  separate  commands.  Commodore  Perry,  with 
his  accustomed  liberality,  regards  all  captures  as  made 
jointly  by  both  commands.  I  can  not  close  this  report 
without  expressing  the  great  gratification  which  an  offi 
cial  intercourse  with  this  patriotic  and  efficient  naval 
officer  has  occasioned.  I  also  beg  leave  to  present  the 
valuable  services  which  I  received  from  that  efficient 
officer,  Captain  Irwin,  assistant  quarter-master,  who  had 
been  detailed  in  that  capacity  under  my  command. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedi 
ent  servant,  J.  A.  QUITMAN, 

"  Brig.  Gen.  IT.  S.  A.  commanding,  etc. 

"  Lieut.  H.  L.  Scott,  A.  A.  A.  General." 

Commodore  Perry,  in  his  official  report  to  the  secre 
tary  c-f  the  navy,  says  :  "  On  this  expedition  I  have  had 
the  good  fortune  to  become  acquainted  with  Gen.  Quit- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  299 

man  and  many  of  his  officers,  and  have  been  gratified  to 
observe  a  most  cordial  desire,  as  well  with  them  as  with 
the  officers  of  the  navy,  to  foster  a  courteous  and  efficient 
co-operation." 

And  now,  the  strong  fortress  of  San  Juan  d'Ulloa 
and  the  city  and  harbor  of  Vera  Cruz  being  in  our  pos 
session,  commenced  a  campaign  which,  considering  the 
inequality  of  force,  the  defensible  nature  of  the  country, 
the  populous  cities,  formidable  fortifications,  and  pitch 
ed  battles  won  by  our  arms,  has  scarcely  a  parallel  in 
history.  The  events  of  this  great  drama  have  been  de 
tailed  by  able  writers,  and  should  be  studied  in  the  mil 
itary  reports.  They  can  only  be  briefly  referred  to  in 
this  memoir. 

On  Quitman's  return  from  Alvarado  a  portion  of  the 
army  had  marched  from  Vera  Cruz  for  Jalapa,  and  it 
was  rumored  that  they  would  encounter  the  enemy  at 
Cerro  Gordo.  He  found  no  transportation  for  his  brig 
ade,  but  resolved  to  march;  and  so  eager  were  his 
"  brave  fellows  to  advance,  they  cheerfully  carried  their 
knapsacks,  forty  rounds  of  cartridges,  and  seven  days'  ra 
tions,  over  the  burning  sands.  They  only  got  up  in 
time,  however,  to  hear  the  booming  of  the  last  guns. 
The  Mexicans  were  in  full  retreat."* 

At  Jalapa  he  rejoined  the  command  of  Maj.  Gen.  Pat 
terson,  encamped  three  miles  wTest  of  the  city.  The  term 
of  service  of  the  Tennessee  Cavalry,  the  3d  and  4th  Illi 
nois  Infantry,  the  Georgia  and  Alabama  Infantry,  and 
the  1st  and  2d  Tennessee  Infantry  being  about  to  expire, 
they  were  sent  to  New  Orleans  to  be  honorably  dis 
charged.  Maj.  Gen.  Patterson,  being  thus  without  a  com 
mand  suitable  to  his  rank,  was  ordered  to  accompany 
the  returning  volunteers.  The  four  volunteer  regiments, 
viz.,  one  from  South  Carolina,  one  from  New  York,  the 
*  From  Quitman's  letter  to  Colonel  John  D.  Elliott. 


300  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

1st  and  2cl  Pennsylvania,  and  a  detachment  of  mounted 
Tennesseans,  were  formed  into  a  brigade  under  Gen. 
Quitman.  Of  these,  the  1st  Pennsylvania  regiment,  Col. 
Wynkoop,  was  left  to  garrison  Perote,  and  the  2d  Penn 
sylvania  regiment,  Col.  Roberts,  to  garrison  Jalapa. 
With  his  command  thus  reduced,  re-enforced,  however, 
with  Wall's  battery,  he  was  ordered  to  form  a  junction 
with  Gen.  Worth,  then  in  advance.  On  this  march, 
May  12th,  he  received  his  commission  of  major  general, 
dated  April  14th.  He  now  considered  himself  the  sen 
ior  of  Brevet  Major  General  Worth,  but  fearing  that  the 
service  might  be  injured  by  a  contest  for  rank,  and  with 
a  high  appreciation  of  the  talents  of  that  veteran  officer, 
he  modestly  withheld  the  claim,  and  cheerfully  acted 
under  his  orders.  They  maintained  throughout  the  war 
the  most  friendly  relations. 

General  Worth  reached  Amozogue,  eight  miles  from 
Puebla,  on  the  13th  of  May.  Santa  Anna,  who  lay  in 
the  vicinity  with  a  large  body  of  troops,  having  ascer 
tained  that  Quitman  was  in  the  rear  with  a  small  force 
of  volunteers,  encumbered  by  a  heavy  train  of  wagons, 
detached  3000  cavalry  to  intercept  him  before  he  could 
form*  a  junction  with  Worth.  This  movement  was  dis 
covered,  and  Gen.  Worth  sent  Col.  Garland,  with  Dun 
can's  field  battery,  to  counteract  it.  They  soon,  by 
a  few  well-directed  discharges,  compelled  the  enemy  to 
retreat.  Santa  Anna  had  expected  to  find  Quitman  some 
miles  back,  in  the  defile  of  Pinal.  He  was  not  apprised 
of  the  celerity  and  order  that  characterized  the  volun 
teers  on  the  march.  When  they  first  heard  Duncan's 
guns  they  were  within  three  miles  of  Worth,  in  a  com 
pact  column  of  march.  The  moment  they  perceived  the 
enemy  the  line  was  formed,  and  they  were  ready  to  re 
ceive  his  charge.  Squadron  after  squadron  approached 
and  wheeled  into  line  in  front.  It  was  nn  imposing 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  301 

spectacle.  Three  cheers  from  the  volunteers  evinced 
their  readiness  to  meet  the  shock  of  a  superior  force. 
Having  closely  observed  our  steady  line  of  bristling  bay 
onets,  they  concluded  that  "  discretion  was  the  better 
part  of  valor,"  and  moved  off  to  the  adjacent  mountains. 
In  an  hour  afterward  the  junction  was  effected,  and  the 
advance  of  the  army  of  invasion  marched  into  the  city 
of  Puebla.  It  was  an  inspiring  event.  Ninety  miles  in 
advance  of  the  main  army,  with  only  3000  men,  they  en 
tered  a  hostile  city  having  a  population  of  80,000,  which, 
only  three  years  before,  had  defended  themselves  against 
Santa  Anna  and  3000  veterans,  and  now  knew  that  he 
was  in  their  vicinity  with  6000  men  to  aid  them  in  re 
sisting  the  invaders.  A  vast  concourse  of  scowling  Mex 
icans  thronged  the  streets,  the  roofs  of  the  houses,  and 
the  balconies  when  the  Americans  entered  the  plaza  and 
planted  our  national  standard  on  the  government  build 
ings,  but  not  an  arm  was  raised  for  the  defense  of  their 
beautiful  city. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  general-in-chief  Quitman  applied 
for  a  command  more  proportioned  to  his  rank. 

General  Quitman  to  General  Scott. 

"Head-quarters  Volunteer  Brigade,  Puebla,  May  29th,  1847. 
"  SIR, — I  this  morning  received  orders  from  general 
head-quarters  establishing  orderly  hours,  and  thus  an 
nouncing  to  me  officially  the  presence  and  command  of 
the  general-in-chicf.  Since  the  receipt  of  these  orders  I 
have  been  informed  that  the  regiments  heretofore  under 
my  command  have  received  direct  orders  from  Brevet 
Major  General  Worth,  have  been  paraded  in  readiness 
to  march  or  to  fight  under  his  immediate  orders,  without 
any  information,  intelligence,  or  orders  of  any  kind  hav 
ing  been  communicated  to  me.  Finding  Colonel  Bur 
nett's  regiment  under  arms  without  my  authority,  I  or 
dered  him  to  dismiss  the  men  to  their  quarters,  but  to 
keep  them  in  readinesss  to  form  in  case  of  necessity. 
Having,  however,  in  the  mean  time,  received  information 


302  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

from  you  through  my  aid,  Lieutenant  Lovell,  that  the 
order  to  parade  the  regiments  was  sanctioned  by  the  au 
thority  of  the  general-in-chief,  I  have  countermanded  my 
directions  to  Colonel  Burnett,  and  left  him  subject  to  the 
former  order  he  had  received  from  General  Worth.  If 
these  measures  have  been  taken  under  the  authority  of 
the  general-in-chief,  I  consider  myself  stripped  of  my 
command. 

"  This  evening  I  have  received  an  order  from  Brevet 
Major  General  Worth  to  detail  a  company  for  guard  at 
General  Scott's  head-quarters. 

"  You  will  readily  perceive  the  very  embarrassing  cir 
cumstances  in  which  I  am  placed,  and  the  necessity  I  am 
under,  however  reluctantly,  to  trespass  upon  the  time  of 
the  general-in-chief  to  ask  his  farther  orders  to  extricate 
me  from  these  embarrassments. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully,  your  obedi- 
ant  servant,  J.  A.  QTJITMAN,  Maj.  Gen.  U.  S.  A. 

"  Capt.  H.  L.  SCOTT,  A.  A.  A.  G.,  Head-quarters  of  the  Army." 

General  Quitman  to  General  Seott. 

"  Puebla,  May  30th,  1847. 

"  SIE, — I  have  heretofore  inclosed  to  your  address  two 
letters,  the  former  dated  at  this  place  May  16th,  the  lat 
ter  dated  yesterday,  the  receipt  of  neither  of  which  has 
been  acknowledged. 

"  Supposing  that  the  former  may  have  been  interrupt 
ed  in  its  transmission,  I  inclose  a  copy ;  the  latter,  I  am 
informed,  was  handed  to  you.  I  had  determined  to 
await  the  leisure  of  the  general-in-chief  for  an  answer  to 
these  letters,  before  making  application  to  him  for  a  com 
mand  suited  to  my  rank. 

"  In  the  mean  time,  I  have  received  this  day  General 
Orders  No.  162,  the  second  paragraph  of  which,  in  effect, 
assigns  me  to  the  command  of  the  two  regiments  of  vol 
unteers  now  here  in  the,  field. 

"  It  is  but  due  to  the  general-in-chief  to  state  that  I 
regard  myself  as  senior  officer  under  him,  unless  Brevet 
Major  General  Worth  has  been  assigned  to  duty  accord 
ing  to  his  brevet  rank  by  the  President,  of  which  I  am 
not  informed. 

"  Under  the  order  alluded  to,  my  command  will  con- 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  303 

sist  of  but  two  regiments,  while  my  juniors  in  rank,  en 
titled  only  to  brigades,  are  in  command  of  divisions  con 
sisting  of  five  and  six  regiments  each.  And  this  army 
would  present  the  singular  spectacle  of  brigadier  gener 
als  commanding  divisions,  colonels  and  lieutenant  colonels 
commanding  brigades,  and  a  major  general  commanding 
less  than  a  brigade. 

"  I  will  not  at  this  time  present  my  views  of  the  hu 
miliating  position  in  which  such  a  distribution  of  the 
forces  would  place  me;  but  I  earnestly  appeal  to  the 
sense  of  justice  of  the  general-in-chief,  and  to  his  known 
respect  to  the  institutions  and  laws  of  our  country,  the 
common  source  of  the  power  and  rights  he  as  well  as  I 
possess,  to  assign  to  me  a  command  in  the  army  propor 
tionate  to  my  rank." 

From  General  Scott. 

"Head-quarters  of  the  Army,  Puebla,  May  31st,  1847. 

"  SIR, — I  have  just  received  your  letter  of  yesterday, 
inclosing  a  copy  of  one  dated  the  16th  inst.,  which,  as 
you  have  supposed,  miscarried. 

"  I  also  received,  the  night  before  the  last,  your  letter 
of  the  29th  inst.,  which  I  considered  as  substantially  an 
swered  by  my  order  of  yesterday.  Some  confusion  was 
unavoidable  under  the  circumstances  of  my  arrival,  the 
consequent  change  in  the  general  command,  and  the  false 
alarm  of  the  29th. 

"  It  takes  a  commander  several  days  to  learn  the  dis 
tribution  of  the  troops  made  before  his  arrival,  the  ap 
proaches  the  enemy  may  avail  himself  of,  the  points  of 
defense,  etc.,  etc.  Being  much  indisposed,  I  was  slow  in 
acquiring  that  knowledge,  and,  in  the  mean  time,  left 
much  power  in  the  previous  commander  of  the  advanced 
corps. 

"  I  regret  that  you  have  addressed  me  the  letter  of  the 
30th,  being  much  occupied  with  the  ordinary  business  of 
the  army  and  the  high  duties  of  the  campaign,  with  all 
of  which  I  should  be  happy  to  make  you  acquainted  if 
you  would  call.  I  have  no  leisure  for  a  laborious  corre 
spondence  with  the  officers  I  have  the  honor  to  command, 
and  who  are  near  me. 

"  I  have  heretofore  announced  to  this  army  in  orders, 


304  LIFE    AND    COKRESPONDENCE    OF 

and  reminded  you  by  letter,  that  Brevet  Major  General 
Worth  was  assigned  to  duty  here,  in  Mexico,  according 
to  his  brevet  rank. 

"  Since  you  marched  from  Jalapa  a  brigadier  general 
of  the  United  States  army  in  the  command  of  volunteers, 
I  have  been  officially  advised  of  your  merited  promotion, 
as  I  understand  the  law,  to  the  rank  of  major  general, 
attached  to  the  new  regiments  authorized  by  a  recent 
act  of  Congress,  not  one  of  which  has  arrived,  though  all 
of  them  were  originally  intended  for  this  army.  Portions 
of  several  of  them,  amounting  to  about  4000  men,  have 
been,  I  learn,  ordered  to  the  Rio  Grande  frontier ;  should 
two  or  more  of  those  regiments  come  under  my  immediate 
orders,  they  shall  be  assigned  to  your  present  division. 
That  division,  I  am  aware,  is  at  present  not  embodied, 
being  divided  between  Jalapa,  Perote,  and  this  place. 
Foreseeing  that  it  would  be  so  divided,  I  declared  Major 
General  Patterson  to  be  a  supernumerary  with  this  army. 
You,  at  the  date  of  that  order,  was  only  a  brigadier  gen 
eral.  The  two  regular  divisions  with  me  have  also  left 
detachments  at  Yera  Cruz,  Jalapa,  and  Perote,  and  have 
otherwise  been  much  reduced. 

"  Not  having  with  me  the  necessary  number  of  troops 
to  fill  up  your  division  without  breaking  up  the  other 
two,  which  I  would  deem  inexpedient,  if  not  highly  un 
just,  to  oblige  you  I  might  consent  to  send  you  to  the 
new  regiments  ordered  to  the  Rio  Grande  frontier,  if  it 
were  practicable  for  you  to  go  there  in  safety.  But  I  do 
not  think  it  practicable,  and  hope,  therefore,  under  all  the 
circumstances,  you  will  remain  in  your  present  position, 
though  somewhat  anomalous,  and  let  this  army  have  the 
benefit  of  your  valuable  services.  Casualties  or  changes, 
which  could  not  have  been  foreseen  at  Washington  or 
by  me,  and  which  have  been  entirely  unavoidable,  have 
placed  you  in  that  position.  As  a  good  soldier,  a  good 
man,  and  a  good  patriot,  you  will,  I  hope,  cheerfully  bend 
to  circumstances.  I  should  part  from  you  at  this  time 
with  deep  regret.  Your  post  is  still  one  of  honor,  and 
you  can  fill  it  with  distinction.  Remain,  then,  and  give 
me  your  cordial  aid  and  support." 


JOIIX    A.  QIimiAN.  305 

Gen.  Quitman  to  Gen.  Scott. 

"Pucbla,  June  3d,  1847. 

"  SIR, — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt 
of  the  letter  of  the  general-in-chief  of  the  31st  ult.  His 
wishes  not  to  be  burdened  with  a  farther  correspondence 
on  this  subject  prevailed  with  me  for  a  time ;  but  farther 
reflection  convinced  me  that,  while  my  opinions  remained 
unchanged,  he  would  more  highly  appreciate  a  frank  reply. 
The  position  of  this  army,  in  the  midst  of  a  hostile  popu 
lation,  and  almost  before  the  gates  of  their  capital,  leaves 
me,  for  the  present,  no  alternative  but  to  adhere  to  its 
fortunes,  however  my  rank  may  be  degraded  or  my 
rights  as  an  officer  overlooked.  So  deeply  am  I  impress 
ed  with  this  conviction,  that  I  would  follow  the  destinies 
of  this  army  as  a  volunteer  sooner  than  abandon  it  at 
this  moment.  I  have,  therefore,  no  choice  but  to  remain 
in  the  truly  anomalous  position  in  which  the  recent  order 
places  me ;  but  I  would  be  faithless  to  the  trust  which 
the  President  has  reposed  in  me,  and  to  the  rights  with 
which  the  laws  of  my  country  have  invested  me,  were  I 
to  submit  to  the  humiliating  position  assigned  me  in  the 
army  without  entering  my  respectful  protest  against  the 
construction  placed  by  the  general-in-chief  upon  my  com 
mission  as  major  general,  and  against  the  order  which 
limits  my  command  to  the  volunteer  troops  in  this  army. 
"  I  hold  a  commission  as  major  general  in  the  service 
of  the  United  States ;  its  language  is  the  same  as  that 
ordinarily  used  in  the  regular  army,  without  any  other 
qualifications  or  limitations.  If  we  refer  back  to  the  Act 
of  Congress  of  the  3d  of  March,  under  which  the  Presi 
dent  was  authorized  to  appoint  two  additional  major 
generals,  we  will  find  nothing  in  it  which  limits  their 
command  to  the  additional  forces  to  be  raised  under  the 
Act  of  the  llth  of  February  preceding.  The  terms  of 
the  acts  of  Congress  appear  to  me  palpably  inconsistent 
with  such  a  construction,  because  they  provide  that  no 
division  shall  consist  of  less  than  two  brigades,  of  at  least 
three  regiments  each,  when  but  ten  regiments  are  raised 
by  the  Act  of  the  llth  of  February,  thus  requiring  at 
least  two  additional  regiments  from  the  regular  or  vol 
unteer  troops  to  constitute  the  miuinium  command  of  the 


306  LIFE   AND    COKEESPONDENCE    OF 

major  general.  Moreover,  these  acts  authorized  the  Presi 
dent  to  organize  this  additional  military  force  into  divis 
ions  and  brigades  indiscriminately  with  regular  and  vol 
unteer  troops ;  and,  when  thus  organized,  they  may  be 
commanded  by  any  of  the  general  officers  of  the  army. 
I  will  not  dwell  upon  the  confusion  and  difficulty  which 
would  arise  in  the  service  if  this  construction  be  not  cor 
rect. 

"  To  present  fairly  and  explicitly  my  objections  to  the 
limited  command  assigned  to  me  by  the  second  paragraph 
of  General  Orders  No.  162,  it  is  necessary  to  refer  to  the 
present  organization  of  this  army. 

"The  1st  division,  commanded  by  Brevet  Maj.  Gen. 
Worth,  consists,  as  I  learn,  of  the  4th,  5th,  6th,  and  8th 
regiments  of  infantry,  the  2d  and  3d  regiments  of  artil 
lery,  and  Lieut.  Col.  Duncan's  battery ;  the  2d  division, 
commanded  by  Brig.  Gen.  Twiggs,  consists  of  the  2d,  3d, 
and  7th  regiments  of  infantry,  the  4th  artillery,  the  rifle 
regiment,  and  Capts.  Taylor  and  Talcott's  batteries,  be 
sides  the  troops  left  behind  in  garrison.  The  division 
assigned  to  me  consists  only  of  the  New  York  and  South 
Carolina  regiments,  besides  the  1st  and  2d  Pennsylvania 
regiments  left  in  garrison — the  1st  at  Perote,  under  Col. 
"VVynkoop,  as  commander  of  that  department ;  the  2d, 
with  other  troops,  under  Brevet  Col.  Childs,  of  the  artil 
lery,  as  commander  of  the  department  of  Jalapa;  over 
neither  of  these  regiments  have  I  any  authority ;  thus 
leaving  my  command  to  consist  virtually  of  but  the  two 
first-namied  regiments.  The  brigades  of  the  1st  division 
are  respectively  commanded  by  Col.  Clarke  and  Brevet 
Col.  Garland  ;  those  of  the  2d,  by  Brevet  Brig.  Gen.  Smith 
and  Brevet  Col.  Riley.  Each  of  these  brigades  has  more 
effective  men  in  the  field  than  my  whole  actual  command. 
This  inequality,  when  taken  in  connection  with  my  rank 
and  the  respective  grades  of  the  other  officers,  is  so  strik 
ing  as  to  give  me  just  cause  of  complaint ;  for,  if  it  be 
considered  highly  unjust  to  any,  or  a  portion  of  the 
officers  now  in  command,  under  the  temporary  organiza 
tion  which  now  exists,  to  limit  them  to  their  appropriate 
command,  how  much  more  so  to  deprive  a  higher  officer 
of  the  command  unquestionably  due  to  his  rank  ? 

"Heartily  reciprocating  the  personal  respect  which 


JO1IX    A.  QUITMAN.  307 

the  general-iii-chief  lias  ever  manifested  toward  me,  and 
grateful  for  the  kind  expressions  of  his  letter,  I  very  re 
luctantly  again  advert  to  the  question  of  rank  heretofore 
presented  by  me.  Believing,  as  I  do,  in  common,  as  I  am 
informed,  with  a  large  portion  of  the  officers  of  the  army, 
that  the  President  of  the  United  States  alone  has  author 
ity  to  assign  an  officer  to  duty  according  to  his  brevet 
rank,  I  owe  it  to  myself  and  to  the  service  to  question 
the  right  of  a  brevet  major  general  to  command  me,  ex 
cept  in  the  cases  specified  in  the  61st  Article  of  War. 
Until  I  am  advised  that  such  assignment  comes  from  the 
high  source  required  by  law,  neither  the  order  of  the 
general-in-chief  referred  to,  nor  his  letter  addressed  to 
me  from  Jalapa,  gives  me  the  desired  information  on  this 
point. 

"  I  should  have  been  well  content  if  the  power  had 
been  reposed  by  law  in  the  discretion  of  the  command 
ing  general ;  but,  conscientiously  believing  that  it  is  not 
so  vested,  a  sense  of  duty  requires  me  frankly  to  express 
my  opinion  upon  this  subject  now,  that  the  question  may 
be  settled  by  the  proper  authority,  and  that  conflict  of 
opinions  hereafter  may  not  produce  inconvenience  or  do 
injury  to  the  public  service." 

Notwithstanding  this  conflict  in  respect  to  rank,  and  a 
difference  of  opinion  as  to  other  grave  matters,  the  rela 
tions  between  Gens.  Scott  and  Quitman  continued  friend 
ly  and  agreeable.*  Quitman  was  ambitious ;  he  had  a 
proper  conception  of  his  own  military  talents,  but  no 
mean  jealousy  of  the  great  commander  under  whom  he 
served  ever  had  a  lodgment  in  his  bosom.  That  was  re- 

"  Head-quarter?,  Puebla,  August  2<1. 

"GENERAL, — If  ycm  have  no  pressing  engagement,  the  general-in- 
chief  will  be  glad  to  encounter  you  this  evening  in  a  game  of  chess. 
"Very  respectfully,  T.  WILLIAMS,  A.  A.  C. 

"Major  General  Quitman." 

"Puebla,  August  fith. 

"GENERAL, — I  am  directed  hy  the  general-in-chief  to  request  you 
to  drop  in,  by  the  merest  accident,  at  9  o'clock  this  evening,  to  take  a 
glass  of  hot  punch.  '  Very  respectfully, 

"  J.  HAMILTON,  A.  A.  C. 

"Major  General  Qaitman." 


308  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

served  for  presidential  plotters  a£  Washington  and  very 
small  generals  in  Mexico.  He  had,  nevertheless,  the  in 
dependence  to  differ  with  him  on  important  questions  of 
policy  and  strategy;  but  this  independence  never  de 
prived  him  of  the  confidence  of  Scott. 


JOll^f    A.   QUITHAN.  309 


CHAPTER  XL 

Review  of  our  Relations  with  Mexico. — Scott's  Proclamation. — Dis 
approval  of  the  President. — Ingersoll's  Report. — Spirit  of  the  South 
an'd  West. — Condition  of  Mexico. — Obstacles  encountered  by  Tay 
lor  and  Scott. — Mr.  Trist. — His  Mission. — Rupture  and  Reconcili 
ation  with  Gen.  Scott. — Gen.  Pillow. — British  and  Mexican  In 
trigues. — Secret  Conference  at  Pucbla. — The  Gomez  Letter. — 
Report  of  the  Court  of  Inquiry. — Gen.  Scott's  Letter. — Quitman's 
Position. 

THE  celebrated  proclamation  of  Gen.  Scott,  issued  at 
Jalapa,  on  the  llth  of  May,  1847,  for  the  consideration 
of  the  Mexican  people,  set  forth  that  war  had  been  com 
menced  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  to  counteract 
the  schemes  of  President  Paredes,  who  w^as  aiming  to 
overthrow  the  republic  and  establish  a  monarchy  under 
the  protection  of  one  or  more  of  the  European  powers. 
"Duty,  honor,  and  dignity,"  said  the  proclamation, 
"placed  us  under  the  necessity  of  not  losing  a  season  of 
which  the  monarchical  party  in  Mexico  was  fast  taking 
advantage."  This  paragraph  President  Polk  condemn 
ed,  and  Mr.  Marcy,  the  secretary  of  state,  on  the  loth  of 
June  wrote  to  Gen.  Scott  that  it  was  by  no  means  "  to 
be  considered  as  an  authoritative  exposition  of  the  views 
of  the  President,"  who  had  all  along  professed  to  depre 
cate  the  war  as  having  been  forced  upon  him  by  the  at 
tack  of  the  Mexicans  upon  Gen.  Taylor  in  April,  184G. 
This  pretense  was  more  in  accordance  with  the  tempo 
rizing  character  of  Mr.  Polk  than  with  the  facts,  or  the 
frankness  of  our  national  policy.  As  far  back  as  1837, 
President  Jackson  announced  that  an  immediate  decla- 


310  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

ration  of  war  against  Mexico  would  be  justifiable,  and 
recommended  reprisals  and  blockades  to  enforce  our  just 
demands.  From  that  period  down  to  the  arrival  of  Gen. 
Taylor  on  the  Rio  Grande,  in  1846,  we  had  been  sub 
jected  by  Mexico  to  almost  every  insult  and  injustice 
that  one  nation  can  offer  to  another.  All  these  were 
enumerated  by  the  Hon.  C.  J.  Ingersoll,  of  Philadelphia, 
chairman  of  the  House  Committee  of  Foreign  Affairs,  in 
a  report  of  great  force  and  vigor,  in  which,  however, 
there  was  too  much  effort  to  please  the  Puritanism  of 
the  President,  and  to  secure  his  own  re-election  by  a 
Quaker  community. 

The  truth  is,  the  American  people,  especially  of  the 
Southwestern  and  Western  States,  demanded  war,  and 
were  determined  to  have  it — just  as  much  so  as  when 
the  same  people  insisted  on  war  with  Spain  to  affirm  our 
right  to  the  free  navigation  of  the  Mississippi.  The  an 
nexation  of  Texas,  it  was  foreseen,  would  be  followed  by 
war,  and  it  had  substantially  been  declared  by  Mexico 
in  the  manifesto  of  President  Parades  of  April  23d, 
1846,  before  the  commencement  of  hostilities  on  the  Rio 
Grande. 

But  had  none  of  the  real  or  pretended  motives  that 
have  been  assigned  for  the  war  existed,  the  grounds 
upon  which  Gen.  Scott  placed  it  were  sufficient.  We 
should  be  faithless  to  our  mission,  and  to  our  own  in 
terests,  to  permit  the  acquisition  of  territory  or  the  re- 
establishment  of  monarchical  institutions  on  this  conti 
nent,  under  European  auspices  or  intervention.*  That 

*  The  doctrine  of  European  non-intervention,  commonly  attributed 
to  President  Monroe,  originated  with  Mr.  Jefferson.  August  12th, 
1790,  when  secretary  of  state,  he  thus  wrote  to  Gouverneur  Morris, 
our  minister  in  Paris:  "The  consequences  of  their  [the  British]  ac 
quiring  territory  on  our  frontiers  are  too  obvious  to  need  development. 
We  wish  you  to  intimate  that  we  can  not  be  indifferent  to  enterprises 
of  this  nature ;  that  we  should  contemplate  a  change  of  neighbors  with 
great  uneasiness ;  and  that  a  due  balance  on  our  borders  is  not  less  de- 


JO11X   A.  QUITMAN.  oil 

single  sentence  of  the  Jalapa  proclamation  to  which  Mr. 
Polk  cxceptcd  comprehends  the  proper  policy  of  our  gov 
ernment,  and  expresses  frankly  the  necessity  for  armed 
intervention  that  existed  then,  and  which  is  imperative 
now.  A  country  in  perpetual  insurrection — holding  iu 
contempt  the  comity  of  nations — under  the  dominion  of 
brigands — overrun  by  savages  in  some  quarters — in  oth 
ers  perpetrating,  with  its  own  soldiery,  more  than  sav 
age  enormities  on  its  own  citizens  and  on  the  citizens 
of  other  nations — refusing  satisfaction  for  our  pecuniary 
claims  and  national  outrages — and  liable,  at  any  moment, 
to  complicate  our  relations  with  European  powers,  is  no 
safe  neighbor  for  the  United  States.  Humanity  and  in 
terest,  the  stability  of  our  institutions,  and  a  wise  fore 
cast  for  the  future,  demand  of  us  more  than  the  inter 
vention  of  an  abortive  diplomacy.  Civilized  communities 
provide  guardians  for  the  helpless  and  imbecile,  and  de 
fenses  against  the  lunatic  and  the  outlaw.  Mexico  is, 
and  long  has  been,  in  this  relation  to  us,  and  as  her  next 
neighbor  and  nearest  friend,  and  for  our  own  safety,  we 
should  establish  these  relations  with  her,  with  or  with 
out  her  consent.  American  protection  and  immigra 
tion  would  soon  restore  peace,  and  be  the  guarantee 
for  her  future  prosperity. 

These  were  the  views  of  Gen.  Quitman  when  Gen. 
Scott's  proclamation  appeared,  and  he  entertained  them 
to  the  end  of  his  life.  The  American  executive,  how 
ever,  frightened  by  the  howl  of  faction,  and  anxious  to 
conciliate  the  "New  England  sectarians,  was  determined 
on  peace.  What  had  been  achieved  on  the  Rio  Grande 
frontier  was  due  to  the  valor  of  our  troops,  coldly  sup 
ported  by  the  national  government.  Gen.  Taylor  had  de 
sirable  to  us  than  a  balance  of  power  in  Europe  has  always  appeared 
to  them.  We  wish  to  be  neutral,  and  we  will  be  so  if  they  will  exe 
cute  the  treaty  fairly,  and  attempt  no  conquest  adjoinlny  us." — Life  of 
Morris,  vol.  ii..  p.  J32. 


312  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

fended  Fort  Brown,  won  two  pitched  battles,  captured 
Matamoras,  Camargo,  and  Seralvo,  and  penetrated  the 
Mexican  territory  to  Monterey,  with  but  little  aid  from 
the  government.  He  had  carried  that  strongly -fortified 
city  by  assault  after  three  days'  hard  fighting,  only  to  be 
censured  for  granting  terms  to  the  defeated.  The  capit 
ulation  of  Monterey,  accepted  by  the  hero  of  Palo  Alto 
and  Resaca  de  la  Pahna,  had  been  disapproved  by  Presi 
dent  Polk.  He  reiterated  his  determination  to  prosecute 
the  war  with  energy,  but,  with  singular  inconsistency, 
considered  4000  men  sufficient  for  the  reduction  of  Vera 
Cruz  !  Politicians  wholly  ignorant  of  campaigns  planned 
campaigns.  Neither  Gen.  Scott  or  Gen.  Taylor  were  in 
favor,  but  when  consulted  they  recommended  the  em 
ployment  of  not  less  than  30,000  effectives  to  carry  on 
the  war.  What  a  satire  on  the  army  of  4000  suggested 
by  the  executive  ! 

The  appointment  of  a  lieutenant  general  to  take  prec 
edence  of  Scott  and  Taylor  was  urged  by  the  President, 
and  it  was  understood  that  the  appointment  would  be 
conferred  on  the  Hon.  Thomas  II.  Benton,  then  a  senator 
from  Missouri,  a  man  of  unquestionable  talents  and  en 
ergy,  but  without  military  education  or  experience.  At 
the  same  time,  N".  P.  Trist,  chief  clerk  in  the  State  Depart 
ment,  was  sent  out,  with  secret  instructions,  as  commis 
sioner  to  attend  the  army ;  an  appointment  uncalled  for, 
of  questionable  legality,  without  precedent  in  our  own 
service,  and  in  imitation  of  very  bad  precedents  in  Eu 
rope.  The  commissioner  was,  as  might  have  been  an 
ticipated,  received  coldly  by  the  general-in-chief  and 
by  the  army.  The  former  indignantly  remonstrated 
against  his  mission,  his  presence,  and  his  proceedings. 
The  latter  regarded  him  with  suspicion,  and  deprecated 
any  interference  at  that  juncture  with  the  arbitrament 
of  arms.  His  operations  are  to  this  day,  to  some  extent, 


JOHN   A.  QTimiAN.  313 

matter  of  conjecture.  Though  treated  with  severity  by 
the  executive  on  his  return  to  the  United  States,  he  never 
disclosed  enough  of  his  secret  instructions  and  proceed 
ings  to  rebuke  his  employer  or  to  vindicate  himself.  His 
integrity  and  good  sense,  which  had  previously  stood 
high,  were  called  in  question.  Neither  the  odium  of  his 
mission,  or  the  frown  of  the  President,  as  unexpected  as 
it  was  ungrateful,  prevailed  on  him  to  explain.  He  be 
came  the  target  of  his  own  party  and  the  sneer  of  the 
opposition.  A  protege  of  Jefferson,  who  had  been  the 
friend  of  his  father ;  in  the  confidence  of  both  Jackson 
and  Van  Buren ;  a  citizen  of  Virginia,  educated  in  its 
most  fastidious  notions,  both  personal  and  political ;  of 
honorable  official  antecedents,  and  with  a  distinguished 
career  in  prospect,  he  submitted  to  injustice  and  miscon 
struction  from  friends  and  foes,  and  became  at  once  a 
scapegoat,  and  "  a  dead  cock  in  the  pit."  He  refused 
to  testify  upon  certain  points  before  a  court  of  inquiry, 
and  his  philosophy  was  proof  against  the  ribaldry  of  the 
press.  Mousing  politicians  badgered  him  in  his  retreat, 
and  the  chief  magistrate,  sole  author  of  the  ignoble  mis 
sion,  interposed  no  word  in  his  defense.  What  was  the 
extent  of  his  powers,  what  his  secret  instructions,  and 
how  far  he  was  sustained  by  the  President  until  the  mis 
sion  became  hateful  to  the  nation  and  fatal  to  the  pop 
ularity  of  all  concerned,  will  be  a  problem  until  Mr.  Trist 
himself  gives  the  solution.  And  for  this  history  must 
wait  before  it  can  be  determined  whether  his  silence  was 
owing  to  dread  of  power,  the  hope  of  reconciliation  and 
reward,  or,  most  probably,  to  that  scrupulous  seiioO  of 
honor  which  prefers  suffering,  and  even  death,  to  the  loss 
of  self-respect.  The  first  Lord  Shaftesbury,  who  aban 
doned  the  king  for  the  Parliament,  when  appealed  to  to 
disclose  the  royal  secrets,  with  a  chivalry  of  feeling  that 
atones  for  much  of  his  political  profligacy,  said :  "  There 
VOL.  L— 0 


314  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

is  a  general  and  tacit  trust  in  conversation  whereby  a 
man  is  obliged  not  to  report  any  thing  to  the  speaker's 
prejudice,  though  no  intimation  maybe  given  of  a  desire 
not  to  have  it  spoken  of  again."*  This  is  the  true  rule  of 
conversational  intercourse  and  of  trust,  and  Mr.  Trist,  it 
is  presumed,  has  never  felt  himself  at  liberty  to  violate 
it,  even  though  treated  with  marked  ingratitude  by  the 
high  functionary  who  most  profited  by  his  silence. 

Mr.  Trist,  before  leaving  Washington,  was  fully  ap 
prised  of  the  hostile  feeling  entertained  against  General 
Scott  by  the  President  and  secretary  of  war,  and  his  co 
incidence  of  feeling  had  recommended  him  to  their  fa- 
vor.f  This  was  well  known  to  General  Scott.  The  com 
missioner  reached  Yera  Cruz  in  May,  and,  arrogantly  ig 
noring  the  American  general-in-chief,  opened  negotiations 
with  the  enemy.  This  was,  of  course,  resented,  and  led 
to  an  open  rupture,  and  to  a  correspondence  discreditable 
to  both,  and  which  not  even  the  provocation  he  had  re 
ceived  can  reconcile  with  the  dignity  of  the  general-in- 
chief.  On  hearing  of  the  quarrel,  the  American  secretary 
of  state,  in  a  letter  characteristic  of  his  bland  temper  and 
enlightened  judgment,  directed  Mr.  Trist  to  discontinue 
his  vituperative  correspondence  with  Gen.  Scott,  and 
make  a  full  communication  of  the  objects  of  his  mission. 
This  dispatch  established  harmony  between  the  parties. 
Mr.  Trist  had  been  directed  by  the  President  to  exhibit 
his  secret  instructions  to  Gen.  Pillow,  and  to  confer  con 
fidentially  with  him.  Gen.  Pillow  had  privately  been 
employed  by  the  same  high  authority  to  confer  with  Mr. 
Trist,  and  to  "  protect  the  honor  of  the  existing  admin 
istration" — a  covert  implication  against  the  American 
general  and  his  comrades  in  arms,  which  Gen.  Pillow  him 
self  should  have  been  the  first  to  disdain.  These  gentle 
men  communicated  to  each  other  their  mutual  powers 
*  Locke's  Memoir.  f  Ripley,  vol.  ii.,  p.  97. 


JOHN  A.  QUITMAN.  315 

and  secret  instructions,  and  held  frequent  conferences 
with  Gen.  Scott,  to  which  no  other  officer  was  admitted. 
Communications  were  opened  with  the  enemy  through 
the  agency  of  the  British  minister,  who  dispatched  his 
secretary  to  the  American  head-quarters  at  Puebla  to 
confer  with  this  extraordinary  triumvirate.  The  spec 
tacle,  even  at  this  distance  of  time,  is  humiliating.  It 
shocks  our  national  pride,  this  intervention  of  an  antag- 
onistical  diplomacy  with  a  treacherous  enemy,  from  whom 
no  justice  or  good  faith  could  be  expected  but  at  the 
point  of  the  sword.  Great  Britain  had  intrigued  against 
us  in  every  quarter  of  the  world ;  her  diplomatists  and 
capitalists  had  encouraged  and  sustained  Mexico  in  her 
course  of  outrage  against  the  United  States ;  she  had  ex 
erted  all  her  art  to  prevent  the  annexation  of  Texas,  with 
the  view  of  establishing  a  refuge  on  our  southern  bor 
der  for  fugitive  slaves,  in  harmony  with  her  former  In 
dian  policy  which  had  so  often  deluged  our  northwest 
ern  frontier  with  blood.  From  the  moment  the  war 
commenced,  her  metropolitan  press,  the  organs  of  every 
faction,  had  pronounced  Mexico  impregnable,  and  pre 
dicted  disaster  to  our  arms.  Yet,  notwithstanding  this, 
the  American  executive,  the  head  of  a  great  republic, 
elected,  too,  by  a  party  never  accused  of  Anglo-mania, 
permitted  IMS  generals  and  secret  agents  to  be  in  fre 
quent  and  confidential  communication  with  British  min 
isters,  consul  generals,  attaches,  and  speculators,  and,  as 
one  of  the  parties  avers,  "the  army  halted  or  advanced, 
attacked  an  out-work  or  consented  to  an  armistice,  as 
these  agents  of  Great  Britain  advised  !"*  If  this  be 
true,  there  has  not  been,  since  the  treason  of  Arnold, 
any  thing  so  disgraceful  in  our  military  history.  It  was 
more  degrading  than  the  surrender  of  Hull.  "No  part 
of  the  ignominy,  however,  attaches  to  our  gallant  army, 
*  Gen.  Pillow. 


316  LIFE   AND   COKKESPOXDENCE    OF 

which  at  every  halt,  though  often  rendered  imperative 
by  the  necessity  for  re-enforcements  and  by  strategy, 
manifested  their  impatience  to  advance  upon  the  capital. 
Officers  and  men,  regulars  and  volunteers,  unseduced  by 
the  luxuries  and  pleasures  of  Jalapa  and  Puebla,  fretted 
at  delay. 

1847.  On  the  17th  of  July  the  general-in-chief  invited  a 
consultation  with  his  generals,  when  a  scheme  previously 
agreed  on  between  himself,  General  Pillow,  and  Mr.  Trist 
was  announced,  under  an  injunction  of  confidence,  viz., 
the  employment  of  money  to  purchase  a  peace  ! 

Plow  General  Scott  ever  brought  his  imperious  and 
martial  mind,  so  long  regulated  by  the  rules  of  a  profes 
sion  the  most  scrupulous  as  to  punctilio  and  propriety, 
to  favor  a  process  so  mercenary  and  demoralizing,  can 
not  be  explained.  Ripley,  in  his  able  work,  ascribes  po 
litical  motives  to  him,  which  will  not  stand  the  test  of 
criticism,  and  are  too  ungenerous  to  be  tolerated  in  the 
absence  of  proof.  If  visions  of  ambition  influenced  him, 
he  was  aware  that  they  were  to  be  realized  only  in  the 
palace  of  Montezuma.  Nothing  less  than  the  occupa 
tion  of  the  capital  would  have  satisfied  his  countrymen. 
It  is  more  reasonable  to  presume  that  he  had  become 
disgusted  with  the  service.  His  constitutional  irritabil 
ity  had  been  aggravated  by  advices  from  Washington. 
He  had  neither  the  ear  of  the  President  or  the  secretary 
of  war.  They  had  proposed  to  commission  a  civilian, 
Avith  a  rank  superior  to  his  own,  to  supervise  his  opera 
tions.  A  secret  agent  had  been  sent  to  head-quarters  to 
consult  with  one  of  his  brigadiers,  and  without  his  ap 
proval  communications  had  been  opened  with  the  enemy. 
Every  thing  indicated  the  determination  of  President 
Polk  to  accomplish  a  speedy  peace.  His  secret  agent, 
with  the  approval  of  General  Pillow,  his  secret  repre 
sentative,  proposed  the  use  of  money ;  and  the  general. 


JOHN  A.  QTJITMAN.  317 

worried  and  disgusted,  probably  considered  this  the 
shortest  way  to  relieve  himself  from  a  position  where  he 
was  dogged  by  emissaries  and  threatened  with  superiors 
— a  fire  in  front  and  "  a  fire  in  his  rear." 

"Whatever  his  motives,  when  his  officers  assembled  lie 
frankly  announced  the  plan,  and  as  frankly  sustained  it. 
General  Pillow,  known  to  be  the  confidential  friend  of 
the  President,  and  really  more  his  secret  agent  than  Mr. 
Trist,  concurred  with  the  general-in-chief.  Worth,  ow 
ing  to  a  personal  misunderstanding  with  Scott,  had  not 
been  invited.  Smith  was  absent.  Twiggs  considered  it 
"  a  political  question,"  and  declined  an  opinion.  Quit- 
man  and  Shields  strongly  condemned  the  plan,  and  Cad- 
walader  coincided  with  them.  The  council  broke  up 
without  any  definite  conclusion,  and  with  the  understand 
ing  that  the  meeting  and  the  subject  matter  was  to  be 
considered  strictly  confidential.* 

*  The  public  attention  was  first  attracted  to  this  matter  by  a  letter 
in  the  St.  Louis  Republican  signed  "  Gomez,"  dated  Puebla,  Aug.  Gth. 
The  most  material  passages  are  here  published  : 

"I  observe  from  the  papers  that  an  idea  is  prevalent  among  the 
more  intelligent  portions  of  the  United  States  that  General  Scott  is 
vested  with  high  diplomatic  powers.  Whatever  may  have  been  the 
case  previous  to  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Trist,  since  then  all  such  powers 
have  been  vested  in  Mr.  Trist  alone,  lie  was  sent  here  as  a  confi 
dential  political  friend  of  the  administration,  as  the  disbuvser  of  the 
three-million  fund,  and  with  the  expectation  that,  by  a  judicious  ap 
plication  of  it,  a  peace  could  be  speedily  purchased  !  from  a  people  over 
u'hom  our  standard  had  floated  victorious  in  every  engagement  ICQ  had  had 
with  them.  I  mention  this,  because  I  believe  that  the  administration, 
fearing  the.  infamy  that  will  attach  to  a  peace  procured  upon  such 
terms,  have  cunningly  devised  the  plan  to  create,  and  allow  the  im 
pression  to  become  prevalent,  that  General  Scott  possessed  the  diplo 
matic  power,  and  that  upon  him  must  rest  the  responsibility  of  any 
such  termination  of  the  war. 

"A  short  time  since  things  were  in  a  fair  way  thus  to  be  ended. 
The  application  of  this  fund  was  to  be,  upon  certain  contingencies,  in 
bringing  about  the  appointment  of  commissioners  to  treat  with  us  for 
peace,  and  those  who  had  secured  this  result  were  to  be  the  recipients 
of  cei'tain  portions  of  the  fund.  To  this  Mr.  Trist  was  committed  in 
full,  arid,  so  far  as  consent  went,  General  Scott  in  part.  A  council  of 
war  was  decided  upon  and  called.  It  convened  at  the  head-quarters 
of  the  army  on  Saturday  evening,  the  17th  of  July  last  past.  Those 


318  LIFE   AND   COKRESPONDEXCE    OF 

This  letter  was  generally  ascribed  to  George  J.  M. 
Davis,  a  lieutenant  of  Illinois  volunteers,  on  the  staff"  of 

who  were  present  at  the  council  were,  the  general-in-chief,  Major  Gen 
erals  Pillow  and  Quitman,  Brigadier  Generals  Twiggs,  Shields,  and 
Cadwalader.  The  justly  distinguished  General  Worth  was  not  pres 
ent,  in  consequence  of  a  most  unfortunate  disruption  of  the  friendly 
relations  that  had  existed  for  thirty-five  years  between  him  and  Gen 
eral  Scott.  But  of  this  more  anon." 

The  principal  topic  of  discussion  at  this  council  was  ichether  the 
application  of  a  portion  of  the  $3,000, 000  fund  to  the  PURCHASE  of  a 
peace  would  us  justifiable  under  the  peculiar  circumstances  of  the  case. 
The  deliberations  on  this  point  are  thus  described  in  the  letter  of  Go 
mez  : 

"The  general-in-chief,  with  his  usual  bland,  impressive,  and,  I  may 
add,  eloquent  manner,  first  went  over  the  whole  ground,  bringing,  in 
support  of  his  position,  every  argument  to  which  tact,  much  reflection, 
and  a  strong  mind  could  give  birth.  To  these  considerations  he  add 
ed  the  great  and  pressing  anxiety  urged  in  all  their  communications 
by  the  administration  to  terminate,  by  any  means,  if  possible,  this  war. 
Upon  his  concluding,  the  opinions  of  the  different  generals  present 
were  called  for,  according  to  rank.  General  Pillow's  was  the  first 
given,  and  was  favorable  to  the  plan  proposed.  General  Quitman 
followed,  but  objected  in  toto  to  it,  on  the  ground  that  it  would  inflict 
a  stain  upon  our  national  escutcheon  that  centuries  could  not  wipe 
out.  Of  the  brigadier  generals,  Twiggs  was  the  first  to  express  his 
views,  and,  by  regarding  it  to  a  great  extent  as  a  ( political  question, ' 
he  declined  giving  any  opinion.  General  Shields  was  next  required 
to  give  his  views ;  he  at  once  rose  from  his  seat,  his  whole  counte 
nance  lit  up  with  animation,  and  in  that  bold,  fearless,  uncompromis 
ing  manner  that  so  strikingly  illustrates  his  whole  public  career,  de 
nounced  the  whole  scheme  in  the  most  unqualified  terms.  He  in 
sisted  that  the  application  of  this  fund  for  any  such  purpose  was  not 
only  immoral,  but  debasing.  That,  while  for  purposes  of  self-defense 
it  was,  according  to  the  usages  of  modern  warfare,  justifiable  in  one 
nation  to  employ  as  spies  the  subjects  of  the  other  belligerent  power, 
yet  there  was  no  state  of  circumstances  that  ever  had  or  could  exist, 
that  would  warrant  our  bribing  or  hiring  the  officers  or  functionaries 
of  that  belligerent  power,  for  the  sake  of  benefiting  us,  to  cut  the 
throats  of  their  own  subjects.  And  he  boldly  declared  that,  rather 
than  see  the  country  of  his  adoption  thus  disgraced,  he  would  prefer 
by  far  to  witness  the  continuation  of  the  war  for  ten  years,  and  in  ev 
ery  battle  we  fought  lose  five  thousand  men.  The  one  would  admit 
a  remedy ;  the  other  was  an  evil,  from  the  consequences  of  which,  as 
a  nation,  we  could  never  recover. 

"General  Cadwalader  simply  remarked,  that  General  Shields  had 
exhausted  the  subject,  and  he  fully  concurred  with  him  in  the  conclu 
sions  to  which  he  had  come.  Thus  terminated  the  council  of  the 
evening  of  the  17th  of  July.  What  followed  is  soon  related. 

"  The  next  day  General  Shields  had  a  long  interview  with  Mr. 
Trist.  What  occurred  at  that  interview  I  have  no  means  of  ascer- 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAX.     '  Jj  1  0 

General  Shields,  but  in  a  letter  to  Gen.  S.  he  denied  any 
connection  or  knowledge  of  it  whatever.  It  was  re 
printed  in  the  Baltimore  Sun,  and  became  the  subject  of 
a  court  of  inquiry,  which  made  the  following  report: 

"  In  obedience  to  the  confidential  instructions  of  the 
secretary  of  war,  the  court  has  proceeded  to  investigate 
the  several  points  of  inquiry  specified  in  those  instruc 
tions. 

"  It  has  summoned  before  it  all  the  officers  of  the  army 
present  at  the  council  of  officers  held  at  Puebla  on  the 
19th  of  July  last,  except  Lieut.  Col.  Hitchcock,  who  can 
not,  it  is  presumed,  add  any  thing  material  to  the  testi 
mony  of  the  general  officers  examined ;  and  it  has  ob 
tained  no  information  concerning  the  deliberations  of 
that  occasion,  and  the  proposition  therein  made  by  Major 
General  Scott,  commanding  the  American  army,  to  apply 
certain  public  moneys  to  a  purchase  of  a  peace  with  Mexi 
co,  other  than  wras  already  possessed  by  the  department. 

"  The  court  is  not  of  opinion,  upon  the  evidence  before 
it,  that  the  military  operations  of  the  United  States  army 
were,  in  fact,  influenced  by  any  such  arrangement  as 
that  which  wras  discussed  at  the  meeting  in  question. 

taining,  but  the  subsequent  acts  of  Mr.  Trist  can  leavo  but  little  doubt 
upon  that  subject.  Two  clays  afterward,  Mr.  Trist  withdrew  all  pa 
pers  connected  with  this  manner  of  terminating  the  war.  And  from 
that  hour  to  this  an  immediate  march  upon  tho  capital,  so  soon  as 
General  Pierce  came  up,  was  determined  upon,  and  all  hopes  of  an 
early  peace  abandoned. 

"I  have  been  thus  particular  in  relating  the  proceedings  of  what  I 
regard  by  far  the  most  important  council  of  war  that  has  convened 
since  the  existence  of  hostilities  between  the  United  States  and  Mex 
ico,  because  I  believe  my  country  has  been  saved  from  being  plunged 
into  an  abyss  of  infamy  from  which  there  would  be  no  extrication  ; 
and  for  the  reason  that  those  who,  regardless  of  consequences  to  them 
selves,  have  averted  that  blow,  should  receive  the  credit  of  it.  For 
myself,  I  sincerely  hope  that  the  hand  that  shall  ever  be  extended  in 
offering  as  a  bribe,  cither  directly  or  indirectly,  any  portion  of  this 
three  millions  to  Santa  Anna  or  any  other  Mexican,  for  the  purpose 
of  procuring  a  peace,  may,  before  it  accomplishes  its  object,  fall  palsied 
by  his  side,  and  that  a  mark  more  distinguishable  than  that  placed 
upon  the  brow  of  Cain  may  be  indelibly  fixed  upon  his,  that  so  long 
as  his  unworthy  life  is  spared  he  mav  be  the  object  of  execration  of  all 
his  indignant  countrymen." 


820  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

"The  court  has  not  been  able  to  obtain  legal  proof  %& 

to  the  payment  of  money,  or  the  understanding  to  pay 
money  for  the  purchase  of  a  peace ;  nor  as  to  what  effect 
any  such  understanding  was  agreed  or  contemplated  to 
have  upon  the  operations  of  the  army  of  the  United 
States ;  nor  as  to  whether  any  written  memorandum  of 
agreement  on  the  subject  was  made  or  received  by  any 
officer  of  the  army;  nor  as  to  the  parties  by,  to,  or 
through  whom  any  proposition  on  that  subject  may  have 
been  made  or  received  by  any  officer  of  the  army. 

"  The  court  having,  in  consideration  of  the  nature  of 
the  subject  of  inquiry,  deemed  it  inexpedient  to  examine 
on  those  points,  or  attempt  to  examine,  in  Mexico,  any 
persons  other  than  officers  of  the  American  army. 

"In  the  progress  of  the  investigation  it  appeared  that 
the  only  persons,  citizens  of  the  United  States,  who  had 
it  in  their  power  to  furnish  legal  proof  on  these  points, 
were  Major  General  Scott  and  Mr.  Trist,  the  Commis 
sioner  of  the  United  States  in  Mexico. 

"  Mr.  Trist,  as  the  record  shows,  has  declined  to  ap 
pear  before  the  court. 

"General  Scott  presented  an  informal  statement  of 
some  of  the  facts  in  the  case,  but  declined  to  testify  as  a 
witness ;  and,  as  the  court  did  not  feel  itself  justified  in 
considering  him  as  a  party  under  charges,  it  is  constrain 
ed  to  leave  that  subject  for  direct  correspondence,  as 
proposed  by  General  Scott  in  that  statement,  between 
him  and  the  department ;  and  it  accordingly  submits 
the  whole  matter  for  such  farther  action,  if  any,  as  the 
President  may  deem  to  be  called  for  by  the  interests  of 
the  army  or  the  government." 

Circular  letters  were  addressed  to  the  generals  by  the 
secretary  of  war.  General  Scott  replied : 

"Head-quarters  of  the  Army,  Mexico,  Jan.  28th,  1848. 
"  I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  24th  ult.,  inclosing 
a  slip  cut  from  some  newspaper  that  purports  to  give 
the  deliberations  of  a  council  of  war  held  at  my  quarters 
in  July  last,  respecting  a  large  bribe  to  the  Mexican 
government  to  be  paid  out  of  the  '  three  millions  appro 
priated  by  Congress,'  and  you  demand  of  me,  in  the 
name  of  the  President,  a  report  of  this  newspaper  rumor. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAX.  321 

"  I  have  never  held  in  Mexico  what  could  be  properly 
called  a  council  of  war — that  is  to  say,  a  meeting  of  offi 
cers  to  vote  on  any  military  subject  whatever ;  but  to  in 
sure  an  intelligent  concert  and  hearty  good-will  in  carry 
ing  out  views  and  plans,  I  have  frequently  called  together 
many  of  the  principal  officers  of  the  army,  to  lay  before 
them  the  number  and  condition  of  the  opposing  forces, 
the  next  movement  or  attack  contemplated  by  me ;  my 
motives  and  proposed  manner  (in  detail)  of  executing  the 
given  purpose ;  and,  in  order  to  take  all  the  chances  of 
avoiding  errors,  I  have  always  concluded  my  expositions 
by  inviting  free  suggestions.  It  is  due  to  myself  to  add, 
that  I  can  not  recall  a  single  material  change  or  modifi 
cation  of  plan  the  result  of  such  conferences. 

"  There  was  a  meeting  of  some  of  the  principal  officers 
of  the  army  at  my  quarters  in  July,  to  which  the  anony 
mous  letter-writer  in  the  newspaper  probably  alludes. 
When  I  add  that  the  meeting  was  strictly  confidential, 
it  will  be  evident  that  the  individual  who  violated  his 
lighted  honor  did  so  for  the  purpose,  as  far  as  false- 
iood  might  serve,  to  inflict  discredit  and  dishonor  on 
others. 

"  The  subject  discussed  at  that  meeting  was  certainly 
of  a  delicate  nature,  too  much  so  to  be  reduced  to  writ 
ing  under  any  chance  of  the  miscarriage  of  the  paper. 
Mr.  Trist,  however,  has  the  whole  matter  written  out  in 
cipher,  to  be,  I  presume,  submitted  at  the  proper  time. 
But  neither  Mr.  Trist,  our  sole  commissioner,  nor  any 
body  else,  as  far  as  I  know  or  believe,  either  at  that 
meeting  or  any  where  else,  ever  proposed  or  suggested 
to  use  a  dollar  of  the  three-million  fund  either  as  a  bribe 
or  for  any  other  purpose  not  to  be  expressed  on  the  face 
of  a  public  treaty." 

General  Pillow,  in  his  reply,  detailed  the  consultations 
he  had  held  with  Mr.  Trist,  and  afterward  with  General 
Scott  and  Mr.  Trist.  He  states  that  he  was  at  first  op 
posed  to  the  employment  of  money  to  secure  a  peace, 
but  was  converted  by  the  arguments  and  the  precedents 
cited  by  General  Scott ;  that  the  objections  he  suggested 
as  to  accounting  at  the  proper  offices  in  Washington  for 
02 


i: 


322  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

money  thus  expended,  were  obviated  by  the  ingenious 
expedients  of  the  general-in-chief ;  that  he  therefore 
went  into  the  conference  of  the  17th  of  July  and  advo 
cated  the  proposition;  that,  subsequently,  negotiations 
were  carried  on  by  Mr.  Trist,  with  the  knowledge  of 
General  Scott,  with  Santa  Anna,  which  he  disapproved ; 
that  he  would  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  proposi 
tions  or  negotiations;  that  these -negotiations  restrained, 
modified  and  controlled  the  subsequent  movements  of  the 
army,  and  occasioned  many  disasters,  etc. 

This  remarkable  statement  of  General  Pillow  was  not 
sustained  by  the  evidence  before  the  court,  or  by  the 
letters  of  the  several  generals  to  the  secretary  of  war. 
They,  one  and  all,  denied  any  knowledge  of  the  payment 
of  money,  or  any  belief  that  the  movements  of  the  army 
had  been  influenced  by  the  negotiations  of  Mr.  Trist. 

In  1857,  General  Pillow,  being  a  candidate  for  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  reiterated  his  charges  in  a 
public  address,  and  set  forth  the  services  he  had  render 
ed  in  counteracting,  as  far  as  practicable,  the  errors  of 
General  Scott.  This  drew  from  him  a  letter,  and  from 
General  Hitchcock,  long  a  member  of  his  military  family, 
an  elaborate  and  rather  crushing  reply.  General  Quit- 
man  was  thus  drawn  before  the  public : 

"To  the  Editor  of  the  Natchez  Free  Trader. 

"I  have  just  read  in  the  Xew  Orleans  Delta  the  reply 
of  General  Pillow  to  the  letter  of  General  Scott,  written 
in  answer  to  some  charges  against  him,  contained  in 
General  Pillow's  recent  address  to  the  people  of  Ten 
nessee. 

"In  the  personal  controversies  between  these  gentle 
men,  as  well  as  that  between  Generals  Pillow  and  Hitch 
cock,  I  desire  to  take  no  part.  Although  my  statement 
in  relation  to  the  Puebla  meeting  has,  upon  several  oc 
casions,  been  called  for,  I  have  abstained  from  appearing 
before  the  public  heretofore,  and  would  not  do  so  now, 


JOHN    A.  QUmiAN.  323 

but  that  General  Pillow,  in  Ins  late  reply  to  General  Scott's 
letter,  has  thought  proper  to  introduce  a  mere  abstract 
from  the  statement  submitted  by  me  to  the  War  Depart 
ment  in  1848,  on  the  call  of  President  Polk.  I  take  no 
exception  to  the  course  adopted  by  General  Pillow  in 
this  particular.  He  had  a  right  to  publish  a  part  or  the 
whole  of  my  evidence ;  but,  since  I  have  been  brought 
upon  the  witness  stand,  I  deem  it  due  to  myself  that  the 
whole  correspondence  between  myself  and  the  War  De 
partment,  on  this  subject,  should  be  published. 

"The  reader  will  perceive  that  this  correspondence  re 
fers  alone  to  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting  of  officers  at 
Puebla.  In  this  communication  I  do  not  feel  called  on 
to  go  beyond  the  matters  therein  referred  to,  except  to 
say  that,  subsequently  to  the  meeting,  General  Pillow  in 
formed  General  Shields  and  myself  that  he  had  changed 
his  opinion  in  relation  to  the  subject  submitted  to  the 
meeting,  and  now  was  opposed  to  the  measure.  As  to 
any  understandings  or  stipulations,  outside  of  the  propo 
sition  presented  by  General  Scott  to  the  council  or  meet 
ing,  I  never  heard  of  them  while  I  remained  in  the 
army.  J.  A.  QUITMAX. 

"Monmouth,  October  25th,  1857." 

"  War  Department,  Washington,  December  24th,  1847. 

"  SIE, — I  invite  your  attention  to  the  article  herein  in 
closed,  from  the  Baltimore  Sun  (first  published  in  a  West 
ern  paper),  pretending  to  give  an  account  of  the  proceed 
ings  of  a  council  of  war,  and  representing  that  it  was  held 
at  the  head-quarters  of  the  commanding  general  in  July 
last,  and  that  you  were  present,  in  which  it  was  proposed 
to  give  General  Santa  Anna,  or  some  other  Mexican,  for 
the  purpose  of  purchasing  a  peace,  a  portion  of  the  three 
millions  appropriated  by  Congress. 

"  Nothing  could  have  appeared  more  improbable  to  the 
government  here,  which  is  fully  aware  that  not  the  slight 
est  authority  for  any  such  proceeding  has  in  any  way  em 
anated  from  it,  than  this  story,  yet  I  am  pained  to  be 
obliged  to  say  that  suspicions  do  to  some  extent  prevail, 
and  appear  to  be  gaining  ground,  that  there  is  some  foun 
dation  for  the  rumor. 

"  You  will,  I  trust,  agree  with  me  in  regarding  it  of 
the  greatest  importance  to  those  alleged  to  have  been 


3*24  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

present  on  that  occasion,  as  well  as  to  the  government, 
that  this  rumor,  assumed  to  be  unfounded,  should  be  met 
with  an  authoritative  denial ;  but  should  it  be  that  any 
thing  has  taken  place  which  could  have  afforded  even  a 
colorable  pretext  for  putting  forth  the  statement  here 
with  sent  to  you — if  any  such  proposition  as  is  therein 
mentioned  has  been  offered  or  entertained — if  any  has 
been  acceded  to,  and  any  steps  taken  to  carry  it  into  ef 
fect,  the  President  directs  that  you  communicate  to  this 
department  all  that  you  know,  and  all  that  you  can  as 
certain  in  relation  to  the  whole  matter. 

"  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  W.  L.  MARCY,  Secretary  of  War. 
"Major  Gen.  Quitman,  U.  S.  Army,  Washington  City." 

"Washington  City,  January  10th,  1848. 

"  SIE, — I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt 
of  your  communication  of  the  24th  ultimo,  inviting  my 
attention  to  an  article  from  the  Baltimore  Sun  inclosed, 
purporting  to  give  an  account  of  the  proceedings  of  a 
council  of  war  held  at  Gen.  Scott's  head-quarters  inPue- 
bla,  Mexico,  in  July  last.  In  your  note  you  advise  me 
that  the  President  directs  that,  if  any  thing  has  taken 
place  which  could  afford  even  a  colorable  pretext  for  put 
ting  forth  the  statement  alluded  to,  or  if  any  such  prop 
osition  as  is  therein  mentioned  has  been  offered  or  enter 
tained,  etc.,  I  should  communicate  to  the  department  of 
war  all  that  I  know,  and  all  that  I  can  ascertain  in  rela 
tion  to  the  whole  matter. 

"  Were  I  alone  personally  concerned,  I  should  not  have 
a  moment's  hesitation  in  making  known  whatever  may 
have  come  within  my  knowledge  connected  at  any  time 
with  the  public  service ;  but  it  seems  to  me,  without  wish 
ing  to  be  understood  as  admitting  or  denying  the  state 
ments  of  the  anonymous  writer  of  the  article  alluded  to, 
that  your  letter  involves  a  very  delicate  question  in  re 
gard  to  my  duty  as  a  subordinate  officer.  It  is  this — 
whether  I  can  with  propriety  divulge  matters  which  oc 
curred  in  a  council  of  war  of  which  I  was  a  member,  or 
expose  the  opinions  of  officers,  communicated  at  such 
meeting  under  the  implied  obligation  of  secrecy  which 
attaches  to  their  deliberations  on  such  occasions. 

"  I  am  at  present  inclined  to  think  that  this  obligation 


JOHN    A.  QUITilAN.  325 

remains  unimpaired,  upon  the  subordinate  officer,  until 
he  is  relieved  from  it  by  the  consent  of  the  party  or  par 
ties  concerned,  or  until  he  is  required  by  legal  process  to 
testify  in  relation  to  the  matter. 

"  Entertaining  these  opinions,  I  feel  it  my  duty  most  re 
spectfully  to  decline  answering  the  questions  propound 
ed  in  your  letter,  and  I  request  that  my  objections  may 
be  laid  before  the  President  for  his  consideration.  Should 
he,  after  considering  them,  still  insist  upon  a  full  answer, 
I  ask  leave  to  be  permitted  again  to  deliberate  upon  the 
matter  before  making  up  a  final  conclusion  upon  the  sub 
ject. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  very  respectfully,  your 
obedient  servant, 

"  J.  A.  QUITMAN,  Major  General  U.  S.  A. 

"The  Honorable  W.  L.  Marcy,  Secretary  of  War." 

"War  Department,  Washington,  March  2d,  1848. 

"  SIR, — I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  10th  of  Jan 
uary,  in  reply  to  one  from  me  of  the  24th  of  December. 
Your  reply  has  been  laid  before  the  President.  He  has 
duly  considered  the  reasons  which  you  have  offered  as 
an  excuse  for  not  responding  to  the  inquiries  submitted 
to  you  by  his  direction  in  my  former  letter.  He  consid 
ers  it  important  that  he  should  have  full  and  accurate  in 
formation  on  the  matters  presented  to  you  in  my  letter, 
and  in  his  view  of  the  subject  he  feels  it  to  be  his  duty 
to  again  invite  your  attention  to  these  inquiries,  and  to 
ask  a  full  disclosure  of  what  you  may  know  in  regard  to 
them.  The  character  of  the  replies  received  from  Ma 
jor  Generals  Scott  and  Pillow  to  letters  similar  to  the 
one  addressed  to  you,  renders  it,  in  his  opinion,  the  more 
important  that  he  should  be  made  acquainted  with  what 
is  within  your  knowledge  relative  to  the  matters  alluded 
to  in  my  former  communication. 

"  The  President  appreciates  the  embarrassment  -which 
has  induced  a  hesitation  on  your  part  to  comply  with  the 
request  which  he  directed  me  to  make,  yet  he  does  not 
doubt  that  you  will,  on  further  reflection,  view  the  mat 
ter  as  he  does,  and  regard  it  as  your  duty  to  the  govern 
ment  to  make  a  full  statement  of  what  you  may  know 
of  the  transactions  embraced  in  the  inquiries  contained 
in  my  letter  of  the  24th  of  December.  The  official  acts 


326  LIFE    AND    COKKESPOXDEXCE    OF 

of  officers  in  the  public  service  should  not,  as  he  con 
ceives,  be  withheld  from  the  executive  branch  of  the  gov 
ernment. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  respect,  your  obe 
dient  servant, 

"  TV".  L.  MAECY,  Secretary  of  War. 

"  J.  A.  Quitman,  U.  S.  Army." 

"  United  States  Hotel,  Washington.  March  9th,  1818. 

"SiE, — I  have  received  your  note  of  the  2d  instant,  in 
which  you  inform  me  that  the  President,  after  duly  con 
sidering  my  objections  to  make  a  full  disclosure  in  an 
swer  to  the  inquiries  submitted  to  me  by  his  direction  in 
your  letter  of  the  24th  of  December,  still  requires  that  I 
should  state  fully  whatever  may  be  within  my  knowl 
edge  in  relation  to  the  transactions  embraced  within 
those  inquiries. 

"  While  my  opinions,  in  the  abstract,  remain  the  same 
as  those  announced  in  my  former  letter,  the  fact,  since 
ascertained,  that  Generals  Scott,  Pillow,  and  Twiggs 
have  answered  similar  inquiries,  has  removed  the  ob 
jections  that  I  should  otherwise  have  had  to  disclosing 
matters  which,  though  connected  with  the  public  serv 
ice,  came  to  my  knowledge  confidentially. 

"  However  reluctant  I  may  be  to  make  the  disclosures, 
it  would  be  presumptuous  in  me  longer  to  refuse  a  com 
pliance  with  the  demands  of  the  President.  I  therefore 
submit  herewith  a  statement  of  the  material  facts  with 
in  my  knowledge  which  occurred  at  the  meeting  of  offi 
cers  supposed  to  be  alluded  to  in  the  publications  to 
which  you  have  called  my  attention. 

"  About  the  middle  of  July  last  I  was  summoned  to 
attend  a  meeting  of  officers  at  General  Scott's  head 
quarters,  in  Puebla,  Mexico.  I  there  met  the  general-in- 
chief,  Generals  Pillow,  Twiggs,  Shields,  and  Cadwalader, 
and  I  think  Colonel  Hitchcock,  inspector  general.  Gen 
eral  Worth  was  not  present,  and  General  Smith's  ab 
sence  accounted  for  by  General  Scott's  remarking  that 
he,  General  Smith,  had  been  consulted  on  the  matter. 

"  The  general-in-chief  first  dwelt  upon  the  great  im 
portance  of  peace  to  our  country,  and  the  anxious  desire 
of  our  government  to  bring  it  about.  He  said  that,  in 
fluenced  chiefly  by  these  important  considerations,  and 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  327 

liis  belief  that  a  movement  upon  the  capital  would  cut 
off  all  prospects  of  an  amicable  adjustment  of  difficulties, 
he  had  halted  thus  long  at  Puebla ;  that  General  Pierce, 
with  a  considerable  body  of  troops  under  his  command, 
was  shortly  expected  to  arrive ;  that  our  numbers  were 
now  weak  for  the  formidable  enterprise  before  us,  and 
that  the  expected  re-enforcement  would  be  of  great  im 
portance.  He  therefore  requested  the  opinion  of  the  of- 
licers  present  upon  the  propriety  of  awaiting  the  arrival 
of  General  Pierce. 

"  lie  desired  to  consult  them  upon  another  subject  of 
great  delicacy  and  much  importance.  That  the  pros 
pects  for  peace  were  now  slight,  but  that  he  was  inform 
ed  by  some  foreign  residents  in  Mexico  that  this  desira 
ble  result  could  certainly  be  attained  by  the  application 
of  a  considerable  sum  of  money  ;  that  the  Mexican  lead 
ers  expected  the  negotiations  to  be  attended  by  a  dou 
ceur  j  that  they  were  not  in  the  habit  of  moving  without 
it ;  that  the  use  of  money  for  such  purposes  was  justified 
by  the  practice  of  other  nations ;  and  that,  considering 
the  great  good  it  would,  in  this  instance,  bring  to  our 
own  country,  he  regarded  the  means  as  moral  and  prop 
er,  and  did  not  perceive  how  any  sensible  man  could 
think  otherwise.  He  farther  added  that  Mr.  Trist  had 
no  power  or  instructions  to  use  the  three  millions  voted 
by  Congress,  or  any  part  of  it,  to  such  a  purpose ;  that 
sum  must  be  accounted  for  on  the  face  of  the  treaty; 
that,  however,  if  it  should  be  considered  advisable,  he, 
General  Scott,  had  credit,  upon  the  assent  or  request  of 
Mr.  Trist,  to  raise  a  million  or  a  million  and  a  half  of 
dollars  to  apply  to  this  purpose,  a  sum  sufficient  to  in 
sure  the  success  of  the  negotiations  ;  that  he  had  already 
expended  ten  or  twenty  thousand  dollars,  which  he  re 
garded  as  'bread  thrown  upon  the  waters.'  He  then 
presented  and  read  a  note  from  Mr.  Trist  on  this  subject, 
assenting  to,  if  not  requesting,  that  the  scheme  should 
be  adopted.  He  concluded  by  inviting  the  opinions  of 
the  officers  present  upon  the  measure.  After  some 
pause  General  Pillow  expressed  his  opinion  in  favor  of 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  General  Pierce,  and  proceeded  to 
.express  in  detail  his  concurrence  with  the  views  of  the 
geueral-iu-chief  on  the  propriety  of  raising  and  applying 


328  LIFE   AND   COEKESPOXDENCE    OF 

the  money  as  proposed,  pledging  his  influence,  as  an  offi 
cer  and  a  citizen,  to  sustain  the  measure. 

"  I  followed.  Alluding  to  the  importance  of  commenc 
ing  our  march  upon  the  capital  during  the  partial  sus 
pension  of  the  rainy  season,  I  still  concurred  in  opinion 
that  we  should  wait  the  arrival  of  General  Pierce's  com 
mand,  if  it  could  be  expected  in  a  few  days.  On  the 
other  question,  I  declared  my  decided  opposition  to  the 
secret  use  of  money  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  a  treaty 
of  peace.  "Without  undertaking  to  discuss  the  morality 
of  such  a  measure,  I  held  that  all  our  dealings  with  other 
countries  should  be  high-toned  and  above-board,  not  re 
quiring  concealment  from  our  own  people  nor  from  the 
world.  That  such  a  transaction,  involving  the  payment 
of  a  large  sum  of  money,  however  secretly  it  might  be 
conducted,  neither  could  nor  should  be  concealed  from 
the  people  of  the  United  States ;  that  whatever  might 
be  the  views  of  casuists  upon  the  subject,  there  was 
among  the  people  of  the  United  States  a  high  tone  and 
nice  sense  of  public  morality,  which  would  lead  them  to 
denounce  and  condemn  a  treaty  obtained  by  corrupting 
the  rulers  of  a  sister  republic,  etc.,  etc. 

"  General  Twiggs  expressed  his  concurrence  in  the 
propriety  of  awaiting  the  arrival  of  General  Pierce. 
The  other  subject  he  regarded  as  political,  and  not  mili 
tary,  upon  which  he  had  not  formed,  and  would  not  ex 
press,  an  opinion,  etc. 

"  General  Shields  followed,  and  expressed  his  decided 
opposition  to  the  scheme.  He  enlarged  upon  its  impro 
priety.  He  hoped  that  money  would  never  be  used  to 
purchase  a  peace  by  corruption.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  plan 
to  bribe  the  government  of  Mexico,  and  he  would  sooner 
see  our  country  in  Avar  for  ten  years  than  resort  to  this 
mode  of  purchasing  a  peace.  Not  doubting  the  patriot 
ic  intentions  of  the  commanding  general,  he  thought  it 
his  duty  as  a  friend  to  caution  him  against  the  assump 
tion  of  such  responsibility,  etc. 

"  General  Cadwalader,  being  called  upon  finally,  said 
that  he  agreed  with  General  Shields  and  myself. 

"  Colonel  Hitchcock's  opinion  was  not  asked  nol*  given. 

"  I  had  no  knowledge  or  intimation,  before  the  meet 
ing,  of  its  objects,  nor  do  I  know,  nor  have  I  ever  heard, 


JOIIN   A.  QUITMAX.  329 

that  the  project  was  prosecuted  any  farther.  Indeed,  I 
supposed  it  was  entirely  dropped  and  abandoned.  I 
know  not  by  what  means  or  from  what  source  this  mat 
ter  became  public. 

"  I  took  no  notes  of  the  transaction  at  the  time,  and 
have  made  this  report  of  it  entirely  from  memory,  and, 
of  course,  may  have  stated  the  language  inaccurately. 

"  The  occurrence  made  an  impression  on  my  mind  at 
the  time,  and  I  think  the  substance  is  above  correctly 
stated.  Your  obedient  servant, 

"  J.  A.  QUITMAN,  Maj.  Gen.  U.  S.  A. 

"Hon.  W.  L.  Marcy,  Secretary  of  War." 


330  LIFE   AXD    COEKESPOXDEXCE    OF 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Advance  from  Puebla. — Valley  of  Mexico. — Approaches  to  the  Cap 
ital. — The  Chalco  Route,  and  the  Controversy  it  occasioned. — 
Duncan's  Reconnoissance. — Mason  and  Beauregard's  Reconnois- 
sance. — Remarks. — The  proposed  Assault  on  Mexicalzingo. — Bat 
tle  of  Contreras. — Battle  of  San  Antonio. — Battle  of  Churubusco. 
— Death  of  Colonel  Butler.  —  Lieutenant  Colonel  Dickinson. — 
Kearney's  Charge. — Overtures  from  the  Enemy. — Quitman  at  San 
Augustin. — The  Armistice. 

THE  expected  re-enforcement  having  arrived,  the  army 
marched  from  Puebla  for  the  valley  of  Mexico.  Quit- 
man's  division  consisted  of  the  Xew  York,  South  Caro 
lina,  and  2d  Pennsylvania  regiments,  a  battalion  of  ma 
rines,  Steptoe's  battery,  and  Gaither's  troop  of  horse. 
On  the  10th  of  August  they  reached  the  mountain  range 
which  separates  the  department  of  Puebla  or  Cholula 
from  Mexico  ;  and  as  they  emerged  from  the  cloudy  can 
opy,  before  them  the  beautiful  valley  lay  like  a  vast  gar 
den,  dotted  with  bright  lakes,  fields  of  emerald,  and  the 
white  domes  and  glittering  spires  of  the  villages  which 
environ  the  capital.  Through  the  transparent  medium 
of  that  elevated  region  they  discerned  here  and  there 
large  bodies  of  cavalry  in  motion  on  the  plain. 

This  remarkable  interior  basin  is  closed  on  every  side 
by  a  mountain  barrier,  varying  in  height,  at  different 
points,  from  two  hundred  to  over  ten  thousand  feet.  It 
is  circular  in  form,  the  diameter  of  the  edge  or  crust  of 
the  rim  being  about  fifty  miles.  It  contains  some  830 
square  miles  of  productive  land,  for  the  most  part  under 
a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Six  large  lakes  stretch  in  an 
almost  continuous  line  from  south  to  north,  occupying 


JOHX    A.  QUITMAX.  3 

about  one  fifth  of  the  valley  proper.  On  their  shore  ex 
tensive  fields,  spread  out  on  a  nearly  perfect  level,  reach 
back  to  the  mountains.  Ten  extinct  volcanoes,  distinct 
ly  presenting  their  craters,  rear  their  cones  in  the  south 
ern  part  of  the  valley.  Glancing  over  the  mountains  to 
the  south  is  seen  Ajusco,  its  scarred  and  blackened  peak 
elevated  more  than  11,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea.  To  the  east  and  southeast  Iztaccihuatl  and  Popo 
catepetl,  the  Titans  of  the  plains,  mingle  their  smoke 
with  eternal  snows  glittering  in  the  sun,  their  outlines 
and  inequalities  so  sharply  defined  as  to  make  them  seem 
almost  within  reach,  yet  looking  cold  and  glacier-like, 
while  every  thing  else  is  glowing  under  a  tropical  sky. 
Nine  populous  towns  are  supported  by  this  great  valley, 
each  of  them  environed  by  picturesque  villages.  But 
the  object  of  greatest  interest  is  the  city  of  Mexico  itself. 
It  was  originally  surrounded  by  Lake  Tezcuco,  whose 
waters  have  been  receding  for  many  years,  owing  chiefly 
to  the  diversion  of  the  Eiver  Guatitlan  into  another 
channel,  and  the  clearing  of  the  mountain  sides  diminish 
ing  the  contributions  formerly  poured  into  it  by  various 
streams.  This  recession,  however,  has  added  to  the  de 
fenses  of  the  city.  The  lake  is  not  navigable.  The 
ground  on  all  sides  is  low,  intersected  in  every  direction 
by  wide  and  deep  ditches,  which,  from  the  superior  ele 
vation  of  lakes  Chalco  and  Xochimilco,  are  always  filled 
with  water,  and  the  city  can  only  be  approached  now, 
as  in  the  time  of  Montezuma,  by  narrow  causeways  be 
tween  aqueducts.* 

1847.  On  the  llth  of  August  the  American  army  de 
scended  into  the  valley  of  Mexico  in  the  following  order. 
Gen.  Twiggs,  with  his  division  in  advance,  encamped  at 
Ayotla;  on  the  llth  the  division  of  General  Qnitman 
came  up  and  encamped  at  Buena  Yista ;  General  Worth 
*  Smith  and  Ilardcastle's  Reports. 


332  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

came  next,  and  occupied  the  town  of  Chalco ;  and  next 
General  Pillow,  who  pitched  his  tents  near  Gen.  Worth. 
The  general-in-chief  established  his  head-quarters  at  Ay- 
otla,  upon  the  northern  border  of  Lake  Chalco,  fifteen 
miles  from  the  capital — a  point  whence  he  could  recon 
noitre  the  enemy  and  best  deceive  him  as  to  his  ultimate 
line  of  approach.  From  that  point  four  different  roads 
communicate  with  the  city.  1.  The  national  road,  the 
most  direct.  On  this,  seven  miles  from  Ayotla,  the  en 
emy  were  in  force  at  the  Penon,  a  high  solitary  hill 
overlooking  the  plain  for  several  miles  in  every  direc 
tion.  Entirely  surrounded  by  wTatcr  or  impassable  marsh 
es,  the  road  or  causeway  lies  immediately  at  its  base. 
Two  long  lines  of  breast-works  for  infantry  ran  along  the 
base  of  the  hill,  and  above  these  were  fifty  pieces  of  can 
non  arranged  in  batteries,  so  as  to  sweep  away  the  col 
umns  of  an  approaching  enemy. 

2.  The  next  most  direct  route  is  by  Mexicalzingo. 
Before  reaching  that  town  the  road  contracts  into  a  nar 
row  causeway  three  quarters  of  a  mile  long,  a  marsh  on 
one  side,  formed  by  Lake  Xochimilco,  and  on  the  other 
very  low  grounds,  with  a  net-work  of  deep  ditches  and 
canals,  the  whole  within  range  of  the  formidable  bat 
teries  of  the  town  and  field-works  recently  erected. 

3.  By  the  large  town  of  Tezcuco,  known  as  the  north 
ern  route,  branching  off  at  Buena  Yista,  and  leading 
through  the  most  populous  section  of  the  great  valley. 
This  had  been  strongly  fortified  at  different  points,  and 
was  occupied  by  a  strong  body  of  the  enemy  under  Gen. 
Valencia. 

4.  The  route  south  of  Lake  Chalco,  winding  along  the 
base  of  the  mountains  which  bound  the  valley  to  the 
south.     This  road,  in  use  in  the  days  of  Cortez,  had  been 
almost   abandoned,  was   deemed  impracticable   for    an 
army,  and  had  been  left  unguarded. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAX.  333 

A  bitter  controversy  after  the  war  sprung  out  of  these 
routes.  Gen.  Pillow  and  the  historian  Ripley  insist  that 
on  the  14th  of  August  the  general-in-chief  had  positively 
determined  on  the  route  by  Mexicalzingo,  which  could 
only  have  been  carried  by  an  enormous  sacrifice  of  men ; 
that  the  movement  would  have  put  the  whole  army  in 
jeopardy  in  case  of  a  defeat ;  and  that  he  was  only  dis 
suaded  from  it  by  the  remonstrances  of  Worth  and  Pil 
low,  and  their  report  of  the  practicability  of  the  Chalco 
route,  based  on  a  reconnoissance  made  by  Lieut.  Colonel 
Duncan,  at  the  instance  of  Worth,  on  the  13th  inst.,  and 
communicated  to  head-quarters  on  the  afternoon  of  the 
14th,  when  the  orders,  which  that  morning  had  been 
given  for  the  advance  on  Mexicalzingo,  were  counter 
manded.  The  statement  is  absurd  upon  its  face,  unless 
we  presume  an  ignorance,  recklessness,  and  incompeten- 
cy  on  the  part  of  the  general-in-chief  not  to  be  presumed. 
The  facts,  as  I  gather  them,  are  these.  While  the  army 
lay  at  Puebla,  the  engineer  officers — a  corps  of  which 
any  nation  may  be  proud — were  engaged  in  preparing 
maps  for  the  army  chiefly  from  the  maps  of  Humboldt. 
Much  information  was  collected  at  head-quarters  from 
various  persons  of  different  nationalities,  but  no  concert 
ed  movement  of  the  army,  from  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz 
to  the  downfall  of  the  capital,  was  ever  based  upon  in 
formation  not  verified  by  actual  reconnoissance.  Gen. 
Scott  established  his  head-quarters  at  Ayotla,  whence 
four  roads  branch  off  to  the  capital,/o?'  the  express  pttr- 
pose  of  obtaining  information.  Why  would  he  restrict 
his  reconnoissances  to  two  routes  only — the  Penon  and 
Mexicalzingo  ?  He  arrived  at  Ayotla  at  3  P.M.  on  the 
llth,  and  at  daylight  next  morning  Capts.  Lee  and  Ma 
son  and  Lieut.  Stevens  were  reconnoitring  El  Penon, 
and  Maj.  Smith  and  Lieuts.  Beauregard  and  Tower  were 
on  the  hill  of  Calderou.  At  3  P.M.  on  the  same  day 


334  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

Capt.  Lee  and  Lieut.  Beauregard  examined  the  north 
shore  of  Lake  Choice  as  far  as  the  village  of  San  Fran 
cisco,  near  the  causeway  separating  said  lake  from  Lake 
Xochimilco,  and  ascertained  that  the  old  road  on  the 
southern  shore,  though  narrow  and  rough,  might  be  made 
practicable,  thus  corroborating  information  received  at 
Puebla.  On  the  13th  Capt.  Mason  and  Lieuts.  Beaure 
gard,  Stevens,  and  M'Lellan  were  dispatched  toward 
Mexicalzingo.  Lieut.  Stevens  went  to  work  near  El  Pe- 
non  to  complete  the  observations  of  the  preceding  day. 
Capt.  Lee  and  Lieut.  Tower  were  engaged  near  Lake 
Chalco.  Capt.  Mason  reported  at  head-quarters  the  same 
evening,  and  it  was  the  general  impression  that  Mexical 
zingo  would  be  assailed,  unless  the  reconnoissance  of  the 
ensuing  day  should  recommend  a  different  movement. 
With  this  view  Capt.  Mason  and  Lieut.  Beauregard  were 
directed  on  the  14th  to  report  to  Gen.  Worth,  who  lay 
near  Lake  Chalco.  But  on  the  13th,  while  the  engineer 
officers  were  thus  engaged,  Lieut.  Colonel  Duncan,  at  his 
own  suggestion  approved  by  Worth,  had  examined  the 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Chalco  as  far  as  Tuliagualco,  half 
way  between  the  towns  of  Chalco  and  San  Augustin, 
nearly  opposite  San  Francisco,  where  Lee  and  Beaure 
gard  had  gone,  as  before  stated,  on  the  evening  of  the 
llth.  Finding  the  road  practicable  that  far,  and  hear 
ing  that  there  were  no  obstructions  beyond,  he  returned 
to  Chalco  at  2  P.M.,  and  was  forthwith  dispatched  to 
head-quarters  by  Gen.  Worth,  with  a  strong  recommend 
ation  of  the  route.-  This  valuable  information,  communi 
cated  by  a  reliable  officer,  agreeing  with  the  information 
had  at  Puebla,  and  with  the  intelligence  previously  ob 
tained  at  San  Francisco  by  Lee  and  Beauregard  on  the 
llth,  at  once  decided  the  general-in-chief.  The  four 
routes  would  doubtless  have  been  examined  simultane 
ously  on  the  12th  had  the  engineer  officers  been  suffi- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAX.  335 

ciently  numerous.  It  by  no  means  follows  that  the 
route  by  Mexicalzingo  had  been  decided  upon  because 
it  had  been  reconnoitred  before  the  Chalco  route.  On 
the  contrary,  every  movement  that  was  made  denotes  to 
an  impartial  mind  the  original  intention  of  the  gcneral- 
in-chief,  in  halting  at  Ayotla,  to  perplex  and  deceive  the 
enemy.  It  was  a  stroke  of  strategy  successfully  carried 
out ;  one  of  the  coups  of  the  campaign  which  the  gener- 
al-in-chief,  probably  for  reasons  known  to  himself,  care 
fully  concealed  from  all  but  the  confidential  officers  of 
his  staff.*  It  succeeded  in  deceiving  Santa  Anna  to  the 
last.  lie  had  hoped  to  encounter  our  army  at  El  Penon, 
and  he  lay  there,  impregnably  intrenched,  with  the  flow 
er  of  his  army,  until  we  were  in  motion  round  Lake 
Chalco.  And  thus  the  general-in-chief  was  enabled  to 
concentrate  his  entire  force  at  San  Augustin  without  the 
loss  of  a  man,  at  the  same  time  compelling  the  enemy  to 
abandon  their  strongest  defense  and  their  preconcerted 
place  of  battle. 

The  route  round  Lake  Chalco  was  unquestionably  the 
proper  one,  and  the  credit  of  ascertaining  it  has  been 
claimed  exclusively  for  the  late  Lieut.  Col.  Duncan — a 
truly  gallant  officer — in  a  spirit  of  disparagement  to 
the  general-in-chief.  Gen.  Worth,  in  a  letter  to  Duncan, 
dated  Tacubaya,  March  31st,  1848,  labors  to  make  this 
impression.  But  his  letter,  at  last,  only  shows  that  the 
general-in-chief  was  masking  his  intentions  until  he  ob 
tained  thorough  information,  and  of  this  very  Chalco 
route.  Gen.  Worth,  after  reciting  what  he  and  Col.  Dun 
can  had  done,  says :  "  Though  Gen.  Scott  evinced  a  dis 
position  to  gather  information  as  respected  this  route 
(Chalco)  on  the  12th,  and,  no  doubt, preferred  it,  he,  nev- 

*  Gen.  Scott,  Inspector  Gen.  Hitchcock,  Capt.  Lee,  and  other  offi 
cers,  positively  aver  that  the  attack  by  Mexicalzingo  was  never  de 
cided  upon. 


336  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OP 

ertheless,  gave  out  specific  orders  for  a  different  route  on 
the  13th,  satisfied,  I  have  as  little  doubt,  of  its  impracti 
cability.  On  taking  leave  of  Gen.  Scott  at  Ayotla,  hav 
ing  my  final  orders,  when  in  the  saddle  I  took  the  liber 
ty  of  requesting  him  to  forbear  his  movement  until  I 
could  report  the  result  of  your  examination ;  to  which 
he  implied  assent.  As  I  have  said,  Gen.  Scott  directed 
me  to  send  and  examine  the  Chalco  route,  etc.,  etc." 
This  admits  all  that  I  contend  for. 

Ripley  likewise  argues  that  the  attack  on  Mexical- 
zingo  would  have  been  full  of  difficulty  and  peril,  if  not 
of  defeat,  and  insinuates  a  want  of  generalship  in  Scott 
for  contemplating  a  movement^  which  he  considers  in 
violation  of  the  principles  and  precedents  of  military 
science.  Upon  this  point  it  may  be  conceded  that  the 
whole  campaign  was  in  violation  of  precedent.  When 
the  American  general,  with  only  10,000  men,  a  large  pro 
portion  of  them  new  levies  that  had  never  seen  fire,  and 
but  imperfectly  drilled,  left  Vcra  Cruz,  Jalapa,  and  Pue- 
bla,  with  its  80,000  inhabitants  and  100,000  hostile 
rancheros  and  guerrillas  in  his  rear,  and  plunged  into 
the  very  heart  of  a  great  empire  to  attack  its  capital, 
occupied  by  180,000  people,  defended  by  35,000  soldiers, 
and  environed  by  formidable  fortifications  bristling  with 
cannon  served  by  skillful  artillerists,  he  found  no  prec 
edent  for  so  daring  a  movement  in  military  history. 
When  a  general  undertakes  such  a  campaign,  he  must 
be  expected,  in  the  course  of  it,  to  depart,  more  or  less, 
from  the  strict  rules  of  strategy,  and  rely  sometimes  on 
the  exigencies  of  the  crisis  and  the  inspiration  of  his 
genius. 

But  would  the  attack  on  Mexicalzingo  necessarily  have 
been  disastrous  ?  Upon  a  critical  examination  of  the 
engineer  reports,  it  will  be  seen  that,  though  naturally 
strong  and  tolerably  fortified,  there  were  few  guns  in 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  337 

position,  and  few  troops  to  defend  them.  It  Avas  alto 
gether  isolated,  and  had  no  connection  whatever  with 
the  strong  force  at  El  Penon.  From  that  point  no  as 
sistance  could  be  had,  especially  if,  at  the  moment  of  at 
tack,  a  simultaneous  demonstration  had  been  made  in 
front  of  El  Penon  itself.  To  come  to  the  relief  of  Mexi- 
calzingo,  Santa  Anna  would  have  been  compelled  to 
march  by  way  of  the  capital,  or  to  attack  the  invaders 
in  the  rear,  a  movement — which  doubtless  entered  into 
the  calculations  of  Gen.  Scott — that  would  have  brought 
the  two  armies  into  the  open  field,  and  insured  the  fall 
of  Mexico  by  a  single  battle !  Under  any  circumstances 
the  attack  on  Mexicalzingo  would  not  have  been  as  haz 
ardous  as  the  attack  by  Napoleon  on  the  Austrians  at 
Arcolc ;  and  what  is  there  that  Frenchmen,  or  any  other 
people,  have  done  that  Americans  can  not  do  ? 

Up  to  this  moment  Santa  Anna  had  expected  to  be  at 
tacked  at  El  Penon,  and  he  was  not  undeceived  until  the 
15th,  when  our  army,  Worth's  division  in  advance,  was  in 
motion  on  the  southern  shore  of  Lake  Chalco.  On  the 
18th  the  advance  division  took  position  near  the  haci 
enda  San  Antonia,  and  the  rear  divisions  were  concen 
trated  upon  San  Augustin,  nine  miles  from  the  capital. 
The  Mexicans  had,  in  the  mean  time,  withdrawn  from 
their  original  positions,  the  eastern  approach  being  no 
longer  threatened,  and  were  strongly  intrenched  at  San 
Antonia,  and  behind  a  line  of  works  stretching  off  to  the 
left  in  the  marshy  grounds  of  Lake  Xochimilco.  Hav 
ing  avoided  El  Penon  to  spare  his  army,  the  general-in- 
chief  now  resolved,  for  the  same  reason,  not  to  attack  the 
strong  position  of  San  Antonia,  but  to  make  his  way 
across  the  pedrigal  to  the  San  Angel  road.  On  the  19th 
Gen.  Pillow  advanced  to  open  .the  road,  which  was  a 
mere  mule-path  through  a  field  of  volcanic  scoria.  At 


338  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OP 

the  intersection  of  this  path  with  the  road,  Gen.  Valencia 
had  thrown  up  breast-works,  surmounted  with  22  pieces 
of  cannon,  commanding  both  the  path  and  the  road. 
Avoiding  this  formidable  battery  by  a  detour  to  the  right, 
our  light  troops  made  their  way  over  the  field  of  lava, 
and  gained  the  high  road  at  a  point  between  Valencia's 
position  and  that  of  Santa  Anna  at  San  Angel.  And 
then  commenced  the  battle  of  Contreras,  one  of  the  most 
complicated  and  brilliant  of  the  campaign.  The  enemy 
lay  in  a  strongly-intrenched  camp,  defended  by  a  formi 
dable  battery,  with  every  advantage  of  ground,  with  an 
immense  superiority  of  numbers,  and  hourly  re-enforce 
ments  from  the  city.  Pillow's  and  Twiggs's  divisions, 
floundering  through  the  field  of  lava,  the  officers  all  on 
foot,  advanced  rapidly  to  the  attack.  Smith's  and  Riley's, 
Pierce's  and  Cadwalader's  brigades  were  exposed  to  a 
heavy  fire  of  artillery  and  small-arms  for  more  than  three 
hours.  But  though  they  fought  well,  no  decided  im 
pression  had  been  made  on  the  enemy's  position,  because, 
independent  of  the  impassable  ravine  in  front  and  to  the 
left  of  the  camp,  our  infantry,  unaccompanied  by  cavalry 
or  artillery,  could  not  advance  in  column  without  being 
mowed  down  by  the  grape  and  canister  of  the  batteries, 
nor  advance  in  line  without  being  ridden  over  by  the 
Mexican  lancers.  Under  all  these  disadvantages  they 
maintained  the  positions  they  had  originally  gained,  and 
resisted  several  charges  of  cavalry.  At  this  juncture  the 
general-in-chief  directed  Col.  Morgan  with  his  regiment 
(till  then  idly  held  in  reserve  by  Pillow*)  to  move  for 
ward  and  occupy  Contreras,  and  arrest  the  re-enforce 
ments  continually  coming  to  the  enemy.  Pie  soon  after 
ward  ordered  Gen.  Shields,  with  the  New  York  and  South 

*  When  ordered  to  hold  his  regiment  in  reserve,  Morgan,  who  de 
sired  to  push  on,  said,  in  a  very  audible  whisper,  "D — n  your  re 
serves." 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  339 

Carolina  regiments  (Quitman's  division),  to  follow  and 
sustain  Morgan.  "With  great  difficulty  Morgan,  at  5 
P.M.,  reached  the  hamlet  which  Cadwalader  and  his 
brigade  had  held  with  unflinching  firmness.  Santa  Anna 
was  found  posted  immediately  in  his  front,  at  the  dis 
tance  of  1000  yards,  with  some  8000  men  and  two  heavy 
pieces  of  artillery.  At  the  same  distance  in  his  rear  was 
the  intrenched  camp  of  Valencia,  with  6000  men  and  22 
pieces  of  cannon.  In  the  mean  time  Gen.  Smith  ar 
rived.  The  countenance  of  Cadwalader,  full  of  anxiety 
for  his  men,  lighted  up,  and  he  said  to  Gen.  S.,  "  Wel 
come,  sir.  I  presume  you  will  take  command."  "  "With 
pleasure,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "  And  now,  while  my 
brigade  is  coming  up,  let  us  look  at  our  position  and 
Santa  Anna's."  While  thus  engaged,  the  veteran  Col. 
Riley,  with  his  brigade,  came  in,  to  the  joy  of  all,  for  it 
had  been  currently  reported  that  he  had  fallen.  It  was 
now  nearly  night,  but  Gen.  Smith  was  inclined  to  get  rid 
of  Santa  Anna  at  once.  Capt.  Lee  and  Lieut.  Beaure- 
gard  were  ordered  to  examine  the  ravine  in  front  of  our 
position,  and  the  brigades  of  Riley  and  Cadwalader  were 
formed  in  close  columns  of  divisions,  at  half  distance,  left 
in  front,  the  first  to  attack  the  right  of  Santa  Anna's  line, 
the  latter  the  centre ;  his  own  brigade  to  act  with  Riley 
or  otherwise,  as  circumstances  might  dictate. 

Riley's  and  Smith's  veterans  were  in  position  in  ten 
minutes,  but  before  Cadwalader's  column  of  new  troops 
could  be  formed,  fortunately,  perhaps,  it  became  so  dark 
the  design  had  to  be  abandoned.*  The  night  was  dark 

*  Gen.  Smith — one  of  the  best  tacticians  in  the  army — yielded,  in 
this  instance,  perhaps,  too  much  to  his  anxiety  to  engage  the  enemy. 
The  contemplated  attack  was  injudicious  : 

1.  Because  he  had  no  accurate  knowledge  of  the  intervening 
ground,  and  what  he  did  know  indicated  the  presence  of  deep  ravines 
running  parallel  to  our  line  of  battle.  This  the  map  now  before  me 
establishes, 


340  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OP 

as  pitch,  and  the  rain  fell  in  torrents.  At  11  P.M.,  Gen. 
Shields,  with  his  command,  reported  to  Gen.  Smith,  waiv 
ing  his  seniority,  and  thus  paying  a  delicate  homage  to 
the  acknowledged  science,  experience,  and  military  talent 
of  the  junior  general.  He  reserved  to  himself  the  diffi 
cult  task  of  holding  the  hamlet,  with  his  New  Yorkers 
and  South  Carolinians,  against  ten  times  his  numbers. 

In  the  mean  time,  Lieuts.  Bcauregard,  Tower,  Brooks, 
and  Canby  had  examined  the  ground ;  and  at  3  A.M.  on 
the  20th,  hungry,  cold,  and  wet,  the  rain  still  pouring 
down,  Smith  silently  advanced  to  dislodge  Valencia  from 
his  intrenchments.  After  wading  knee-deep  in  mud  and 
water,  he  halted  some  500  yards  in  the  rear  of  the  Mexi 
can  position  to  close  up  the  columns  and  examine  his 
arms.  At  dawn  of  day,  Riley,  conducted  by  Lieut.  Tow 
er,  had  gained  an  elevation  behind  the  enemy,  whence  he 
rushed  to  the  assault,  stormed  the  intrenchments,  and 
planted  his  colors  in  seventeen  minutes.  The  official  re 
ports  are  full  of  eulogies  on  the  gallantry  of  officers  and 
men  in  this  brilliant  affair.  The  general-in-chief  pro 
nounced  it  one  of  the  most  decisive  victories  on  record. 


2.  Before  lie  could  have  reached  the  enemy,  it  would  have  been  too 
dark  to  distinguish  friend  from  foe. 

3.  Military  men  would  object  to  the  order  of  battle,  Cadwalader's 
men,  composed  entirely  of  new  levies,  having  been  designated  to  at 
tack  the  centre,  the  strongest  position  of  the  enemy.     But  Gen.  Smith 
knew  the  prowess  of  American  volunteers,  and  this  objection  may  be 
waived. 

4.  The  moment  our  troops  could  be  discerned  or  heard  on  the  ris 
ing  ground  in  our  front,  Valencia  would  have  opened  upon  our  rear 
with  his  22  pieces, 

5.  It  was  risking  the  battle  upon  a  movement  the  favorable  issue 
of  which  would  not  have  been  commensurate  with  the  hazard  incur 
red  and  the  odds  against  us. 

6.  The  map  indicates  that  if  the  attack  was  made  at  all,  it  should 
have  been  made  on  the  left  of  Santa  Anna  (his  right  resting  on  a 
deep  ravine  running  toward  Smith's  position),  to  cut  him  off  from  his 
base  of  operations  at  San  Angel  and  Churubusco,  especially  as  his  two 
pieces  of  artillery,  being  on  the  left  of  that  line,  would  otherwise  have 
taken  our  columns  in  flank. 


JOIIX   A.  QUITMAN.  341 

Oar  whole  force,  including  Shickls's  brigade,  numbered 
only  4500  rank  and  file ;  the  enemy  had  7000  men  be 
hind  batteries,  and  12,000  in  sight  and  within  striking 
distance,  both  on  the  19th  and  20th.4  The  result  was,  an 
open  road  to  the  capital;  700  of  the  enemy  killed;  813 
prisoners,  including  4  generals  and  88  other  officers;  22 
pieces  of  cannon  and  a  vast  store  of  munitions  of  war ; 
thousands  of  small-arms,  innumerable  standards,  and 
over  700  pack- mules.  Our  loss  did  not  exceed  GO. 
Among  our  trophies  was  the  recapture,  by  Capt.  Drum, 
of  the  4th  artillery,  of  two  brass  six-pounders,  lost  by 
another  company  of  the  same  regiment  while  bravely 
contending  against  vast  odds  at  Buena  Vista.  They  had 
long  been  mourned  by  that  gallant  regiment ;  they  were 
now  received  with  every  testimonial  of  affection  :  officers 
and  soldiers  wept  over  and  caressed  them,  the  whole 
command  joined  in  the  wild  hurra,  and  the  gencral-in- 
chicf,  riding  up,  cheered  louder  than  all,  and  received  the 
congratulations  of  his  troops. 

While  the  enemy  were  retreating  to  Churubusco, 
Worth  promptly  attacked  and  carried  the  strong  work 
at  San  Antonia,  and  pushed  on  with  Twiggs  and  Pillow 
in  hot  pursuit.  At  this  point  these  divisions,  respective 
ly  pursuing  from  Contreras  and  San  Antonia,  arrived 
nearly  at  the  same  time.  Twiggs  was  arrested  by  the 
strong  fortifications  thrown  up  around  a  large  convent ; 
the  two  others  by  the  tete  dupont  defending  the  passage 
of  the  Churubusco  River.  The  concentration  of  our 
forces  at  this  point  brought  on  the  battle  of  Churubusco. 
Worth  and  Pillow  carried  the  tete  du  pont,  after  a  severe 
struggle,  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  the  volunteers  of 
Cadwalader's  brigade,  led  by  the  intrepid  TrousdaJe, 
vying  with  the  regulars.  Twenty  minutes  thereafter, 
after  a  desperate  conflict  of  two  hours  and  a  half,  the 
convent  surrendered  to  Twiggs,  just  as  Capts.  Alexander 


342  LIFE    AND    COKKESPOXDEXCE    OF 

and  J.  M.  Smith,  and  Lieut.  O.  L.  Shepherd,  3d  infantry, 
had  cleared  the  way  with  the  bayonet. 

Two  hours  and  a  half  before  this,  while  the  battle  was 
at  its  height,  Gen.  ^hields  had  been  detached  with  his 
own  and  Pierce's  brigade*  to  the  left  to  turn  the  ene 
my's  works,  to  oppose  the  extension  of  their  troops  from 
the  rear  upon  and  around  our  left,  and  to  prevent  their 
escape  when  driven  from  their  positions. 

Shields  made  his  way  a  mile  beyond  Coyacan  to  an 
open  but  swampy  field,  in  which  is  situated  the  hacienda 
De  los  Partales.  On  the  edge  of  this  field,  beyond  the 
hacienda,  is  a  road  leading  from  Churubusco  to  the  cap 
ital  ;  this  was  occupied  by  the  Mexican  reserve  of  4000 
infantry,  strongly  posted  behind  a  ditch  and  breast-work 
in  rear  of  the  town.  Shields  determined  to  throw  him 
self  between  these  troops  and  the  capital,  but,  finding 
their  right  supported  by  4000  cavalry,  he  withdrew  to 
the  cover  of  the  hacienda  and  resolved  to  attack  in  front. 
He  selected  the  Palmetto  regiment  as  the  base  of  his 
line,  and  it  moved  forward  rapidly  but  firmly  under  a 
fire  of  musketry  as  terrible  as  infantry  ever  faced. 

The  New  York  regiment,  led  by  Col.  Burnett, f  re 
coiling  at  first  under  the  tremendous  fire,  subsequently 
charged  with  a  wild  and  irresistible  enthusiasm.  With 
in  100  yards  of  the  ditch  its  gallant  leader  fell,  and  Lieut. 
Col.  Baxter  (who  had  two  horses  shot  under  him)  as 
sumed  the  command,  ably  seconded  by  Capts.  Dyckman 

*  Gen.  Pierce  had  been  severely  injured  the  day  before  by  the  fall 
ing  of  his  horse  in  the  pedrigal,  and  could  neither  ride  nor  walk.  He 
was  deeply  chagrined  by  the  accident,  and  had  the  sympathy  of  the 
whole  army,  who  knew  his  cool,  modest,  and  unquailing  courage,  moral 
and  personal,  manifested  throughout  his  career,  and  every  way  worthy 
of  his  heroic  lineage. 

t  To  this  gallant  officer  has  lately  been  awarded  the  gold  snuff-box 
presented  to  Gen.  Jackson  shortly  after  the  victory  of  New  Orleans 
by  the  ladies  of  New  York,  and  by  him  bequeathed  to  be  presented  to 
the  New  Yorker  who  should  most  distinguish  himself  in  battle. 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  343 

and  Hungerford,  and  as  noble  a  corps  of  officers  as  ever 
went  into  a  fight.  Sergeant  Romaine,  who  carried  the 
national  standard,  had  his  right  arm  shattered,  but  sup 
ported  it  with  his  left  until  he  received  his  mortal  wound, 
and  the  colors  fell.  They  were  seized  by  Corporal  Lake, 
who,  rushing  to  the  front,  was  immediately  shot  down. 
Orderly  Sergeant  Doremus  took  possession,  and  bore  it 
through  the  storm  to  the  Mexican  breast- work,  where  he 
proudly  planted  it  amid  the  cheers  of  the  brigade.  The 
flags  of  South  Carolina  and  New  York  there  floated  in 
glorious  fraternity. 

In  this  sanguinary  conflict  Gen.  Shields  lost  240  from 
these  two  regiments  alone,  not  exceeding  COO  men.  The 
enemy  fought  well,  as  they  did  at  every  point  on  this 
bloody  field,  standing  in  position  till  driven  back  by  the 
bayonet. 

Col.  Butler,  of  the  South  Carolinians,  had  left  his  sick 
bed  against  the  remonstrances  of  his  friends  to  lead  the 
Palmettos  to  the  combat.  Early  in  the  engagement  his 
horse  was  shot  under  him.  Soon  after  he  received  a 
painful  wound  in  the  knee,  and  yielded  the  command  to 
Lieut.  Col.  Dickinson.  Taking  the  Palmetto  flag  from 
the  hands  of  Sergeant  Beggs,  Dickinson  placed  himself 
in  front,  and  Beggs  was  immediately  shot  down.  Col. 
Butler  now  came  up  to  resume  the  command,  and  was 
killed  by  the  side  of  Dickinson  while  standing  under  the 
flag.  Dickinson  himself  soon  fell  mortally  wounded,* 
and  Maj.  Gladden  received  it  from  his  hands  and  com 
mitted  it  to  Lieut.  Baker,  who  being  unable,  from  debili 
ty  and  exhaustion,  to  carry  it,  Maj.  Gladden  placed  it  in 
the  hands  of  Patrick  Leonard,  and  led  his  regiment  to 
the  charge.  His  men  fell  rapidly,  but  not  one  wavered, 
from  first  to  last,  under  the  concentrated  fire  of  the  ene 
my.  In  the  whole  history  of  war  there  has  never  been 
*  He  died  some  weeks  afterward. 


344  LIFE    AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

a  more  striking  example  of  indifference  to  death,  the  re 
sult  of  stern  resolve.  Each  man  fought  for  the  honor  of 
Carolina,  Several  companies  were  almost  annihilated. 
Some  had  not  men  enough  left  to  bury  their  dead,  or  bear 
their  wounded  to  the  ambulances.  The  uniforms  of  some 
of  the  officers  were  literally  torn  from  their  persons ;  the 
color-bearers  were  shot  down,  but  the  flag,  bathed  in 
their  blood,  was  always  seized  as  they  fell  and  borne  to 
the  front.  Proudly  it  floated  through  the  tempest  of 
death  until  the  victory  had  been  won,  and  then,  all  torn 
and  blood-stained,  it  drooped  over  its  own  glorious  dead ! 
The  regiment-entered  the  battle  with  273,  rank  and  file, 
and  when  it  was  over  it  mustered  1G9  !  It  had  no  miss 
ing;  its  dead  and  wounded  made  up  the  deficiency. 
Cadets  of  a  noble  state,  sons  of  a  sunny  clime,  branded 
by  their  country  as  traitors  for  defending  the  Constitution 
and  their  rights  from  usurpation  and  outrage,  yet  dying 
cheerfully  for  that  country  in  a  foreign  land — the  world 
may  learn  that  such  a  race,  in  defense  of  thai*  own  home 
steads  and  institutions,  can  never  be  subdued  !* 

And  thus  terminated  the  battles  of  Contreras,  San  An- 
tonia,  and  Churubusco,  fought  on  the  19th  and  20th,  al 
most  continuously,  aptly  consolidated  by  the  general-in- 
chief  under  the  general  title  of  the  battle  of  Mexico. 
We  contended  against  32,000  picked  troops,  strongly  in 
trenched,  supported  by  powerful  batteries,  by  their  choice 
of  ground,  under  the  eyes  of  the  capital,  and  with  the 
certainty  of  refuge  if  defeated.  We  made  3000  prison 
ers,  including  two  ex-presidents,  six  generals,  and  208 
other  officers;  killed  or  disabled  7000,  and  captured  37 
pieces  of  ordnance,  besides  immense  supplies. 

After  this  great  battle,  well  fought  on  both  sides  in 
every  part  of  the  field,  there  was  an  open  road  and  no 
obstacle  to  the  advance  of  our  army.  We  were  in  pos- 
*  For  a  further  notice  of  the  Palmettos,  see  Appendix. 


JOHN    A.  QUITAIAN.  345 

session  of  every  thing  except  the  last  line  of  works  en 
circling  the  city,  and  the  garita  of  San  Antonio  Abad 
was  only  defended  by  a  two-gun  battery.  The  Mexican 
army  was  paralyzed.  Universal  consternation  prevailed 
in  the  city.  Worth  and  Pillow  had  formed  a  junction 
with  Shields  at  the  hacienda  Portalcs,  prepared  for  a 
vigorous  advance.  Ilarney  had  collected  Kearney's, 
Ker's,  M'Rcynolds's,  and  Dupcru's  companies  of  dra 
goons,  and  was  pursuing  the  fugitives.  They  rode  over 
and  trampled  down  the  flying  masses  on  the  narrow 
causeway,  charged  within  arm's  length  of  the  battery  in 
the  face  of  its  fire,  dismounted  and  would  have  carried 
it  with  their  sabres,  but,  unhappily,  the  bugles,  under 
peremptory  orders  from  the  general-in-chief,  sounded  a 
recall,  and  the  heroic  band,  bleeding  at  every  pore,  and 
in  the  very  moment  of  their  triumph,  was  compelled  to 
fall  back. 

The  general-in-chief,  in  his  official  dispatch,  says  that, 
"  On  the  same  evening,  with  but  little  additional  loss, 
we  might  have  occupied  the  capital.  But  Mr.  Trist,  the 
commissioner,  as  well  as  myself,  had  been  admonished  by 
the  best  friends  of  peace — intelligent  neutrals  and  some 
American  residents — against  precipitation,  lest  by  wan 
tonly  driving  away  the  government  and  others  dishon 
ored,  we  might  scatter  the  elements  of  peace,  excite  a 
spirit  of  national  desperation,  and  thus  indefinitely  post 
pone  the  hope  of  accommodation.  Deeply  impressed 
with  this  danger,  and  remembering  our  mission — to  con 
quer  a  peace — the  army  very  cheerfully  sacrificed  to  pa 
triotism — to  the  great  wish  and  want  of  our  country — 
the  eclat  that  would  have  followed  an  entrance,  sword 
in  hand,  into  the  great  capital.  Willing  to  leave  some 
thing  to  the  enemy,  of  no  immediate  value  to  us,  on 
which  to  rest  their  pride  and  recover  their  temper, 
I  halted  our  victorious  corps  at  the  gates  of  the  city, 

P2 


346  LIFE    AND    COKKESPONDENCE    OF 

and  have  them  now  cantoned  in  the  neighboring  vil 
lages." 

These  are  the  reasons  assigned  by  Gen.  Scott  for  this 
unlucky  halt,  which,  instead  of  being  "  cheerfully"  accept 
ed  by  the  army,  filled  it  with  surprise  and  mortification. 
It  was  well  known  that  on  the  night  of  the  20th  the  British 
secretary  of  legation,  the  British  consul  general,  and  sev 
eral  other  parties  interested  in  Mexican  finances,  had  vis 
ited  Gen.  Scott  and  Mr.Trist  at  San  Augustin,  and  strong 
ly  recommended  a  suspension  of  arms  and  a  renewal  of 
negotiations.  The  "  peace  policy"  of  Mr.  Polk,  prompt 
ed  by  a  weak  desire  to  propitiate  a  party  whose  clamor 
against  the  war  sprung  from  a  mean  jealousy  of  the 
Southern  States,  hung  like  a  nightmare  over  the  army, 
and  dimmed  the  lustre  of  its  most  brilliant  operations. 
It  paralyzed  the  energy  of  the  general-in-chief,  and  con 
verted  a  march  of  triumph  into  a  march  of  blood. 

And  where  was  QUITMAN  during  these  stirring  events, 
when  so  many  of  his  compeers  were  winning  imperisha 
ble  renown  ? 

He  had  taken  post,  it  will  be  recollected,  with  his  com 
mand,  on  the  10th  instant,  at  the  hacienda  Buena  Vista, 
five  miles  to  the  rear  of  Ayotla.  His  division  marched 
with  the  rest  of  the  army  round  Lake  Chalco,  and  on  the 
18th  he  pitched  his  tents  near  San  Augustin,  the  head 
quarters  of  General  Scott,  and  the  general  depot  of  the 
army.  On  the  19th,  while  several  corps  of  the  army 
were  engaged  with  the  enemy,  at  different  points,  on 
what  is  now  termed  the  field  of  Contreras  (Shield's 
brigade,  a  part  of  his  division,  being  thus  employed),  he 
was  directed,  with  his  remaining  brigade,  to  make  his 
way  toward  the  conflict.  But,  wrhen  coming  in  view, 
the  general-in-chief,  learning  that  our  depot  at  San  Au 
gustin  was  threatened  by  General  Alvarez,  ordered  Quit- 
man  to  return.  This  noted  partisan,  with  a  strong  body 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  347 

of  cavalry,  had  followed  our  army  around  Lake  Chalco, 
but  had  not  ventured  an  attack.  The  duty  assigned  to 
General  Quitman,  though  highly  important,  was  not  the 
service  he  desired,  but  his  application  to  be  relieved  was 
promptly  but  firmly  rejected.  In  his  official  dispatch, 
General  Scott  says :  "  I  regret  having  been  obliged,  on 
the  20th,  to  leave  Major  General  Quitman,  an  able  com 
mander,  with  a  part  of  his  division — the  2d  Pennsylvania 
Volunteers  and  the  veteran  detachment  of  United  States 
Marines — at  our  important  depot  San  Augustin.  It  was 
there  that  I  had  placed  our  sick  and  wounded;  the 
siege,  supply,  and  baggage  trains.  If  these  had  been 
lost,  the  army  would  have  been  driven  almost  to  de 
spair;  and  considering  the  enemy's  very  great  excess 
of  numbers,  and  the  many  approaches  to  the  depot, 
it  might  well  have  become  emphatically  the  post  of 
honor."* 

Pencil  Memorandum  ly  General  Quitman  at  San  Augustin. 

"August  20th,  1847. 

"On  the  19th  my  division  arrived  at  San  Augnstin,  and  there  I 
received  orders  requiring  it  to  remain  in  reserve  in  charge  of  the 
depot,  baggage-wagons,  and  teams  at  that  place.  Twigg's  division, 
which  had  been  in  my  van,  was  ordered  to  pass  on  with  Pillow's,  which 
was  immediately  in  advance  of  me,  for  the  purpose  of  opening  a  road 
to  turn  the  works  at  San  Antonia.  In  front  of  them,  where  the  way 
debouched  from  the  ridge  of  land,  the  enemy  were  posted  in  force, 
having  some  twenty  pieces  of  cannon.  As  soon  as  our  troops  came 
within  range,  they  opened  their  batteries  and  continued  them  all  day. 
In  the  morning  I  called  to  see  General  Scott,  and  said  to  him  that 
his  orders  detailing  me  to  guard  this  place  had  cast  a  gloom  over  my 
division.  He  said  '  the  language  was  unmilitary.'  I  said  it  was  true 
that  we  had  been  in  the  rear  from  Vera  Cruz.  He  replied,  '  Not  so. ' 
I  said  that  I  meant  we  were  not  in  a  position  to  gain  any  credit.  He 
said  he  '  should  always  place  his  strongest  divisions  in  front,  no  mat 
ter  who  commanded"  them.'  He  showed  considerable  excitement, 
and  I  left  him  after  I  had  said  that  I  also  had  some  reputation  and  a 
character  to  maintain,  and  that  he  must  pardon  my  sensibility  re 
specting  orders  which  left  me  and  my  division  no  means  of  distinc 
tion. 

' '  About  an  hour  afterward  I  received  a  note  from  Captain  Scott, 
directing  me  to  take  command  of  this  place  as  governor  or  com 
mandant,  etc.  The  firing  from  the  enemy's  works  continuing,  I  was 


348  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

The  assignment  of  this  duty,  though  it  chafed  Quit- 
man's  temper  at  the  moment,  was  a  striking  evidence 
of  the  confidence  reposed  in  his  sagacity,  prudence,  and 
courage.  General  Taylor  had  exhibited  the  same  confi 
dence  when  he  trusted  to  his  discretion  after  the  storm 
ing  of  Fort  Teneria,  and  again  by  confiding  to  him  the 
occupation  of  Victoria  and  the  frontier,  at  that  time 
threatened  by  Valencia  and  Urea  with  5000  men.  Gen. 
Scott  manifested  it  by  selecting  him  for  the  first  separate 
command  after  the  surrender  of  Vera  Cruz,  the  expedi 
tion  to  Alvarado,  by  intrusting  him  with  the  defense  of 
San  Augustin,  and,  as  we  shall  hereafter  see,  in  other 
signal  instances.  His  peculiar  trait  was  to  grapple  him 
self  upon  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he 
associated.  He  scarcely  ever  lost,  even  by  political  com 
binations  and  changes,  a  friend  once  gained,  and  no  man 
won  friends  more  readily. 

On  the  morning  of  the  22d,  the  general-in-chief  having 
established  his  head-quarters  with  Worth's  division  at 
Tacubaya,  appointed  Gens.  Quitman,  Smith,  and  Pierce 
to  meet  the  Mexican  commissioners  to  arrange  the  terms 
of  an  armistice.  At  the  same  time  he  handed  to  Gen. 
Quitman  his  own  draft  of  the  terms  of  the  convention. 
Quitman  was  altogether  opposed  to  this  cessation  of  hos 
tilities,  not  only  from  a  distrust  of  the  Mexican  ofiicials, 
but  because  he  held  that  our  proper  policy  and  manifest 
destiny  was  to  seize  and  occupy  the  country.  At  the 
special  request  of  Gen.  Scott,  however,  he  reluctantly 
consented  to  act  on  the  commission.  It  would  have 
been  more  consistent  with  his  opinions  and  usual  prac 
tice  to  have  refused  to  participate  in  a  transaction  he 
was  unable  to  prevent.  Strange  to  say,  this  service  was 

verbally  ordered  to  send  out  one  or  two  regiments  to  the  support  of 
the  troops  in  advance.  I  directed  General  Shields  to  advance  with 
two  battalions  of  his  brigade." 


JOIIX   A.  QUITMAN.  349 

an  object  of  desire  in  certain  quarters,  and  some  gener 
als  took  offense  at  the  gcneral-in-chief  for  passing  them 
by.  His  selection  was  admirable.  Pierce,  Quitman,  and 
Smith  were  not  only  gallant  soldiers  and  men  of  honor, 
but  they  had  long  been  distinguished  in  the  public  serv 
ice  as  jurists  and  statesmen. 

The  armistice  was  proclaimed  August  24th,  and  Mr. 
Trist  and  the  Mexican  commissioners  renewed  their  ne 
gotiations  for  peace. 

On  the  26th,  Gen.  Quitman  wrote  Gen.  Scott  from 
San  Augustin,  that  the  Mexican  officers,  and  many  citi 
zens  whom  he  had  met  with,  unanimously  expressed  the 
opinion  that  no  treaty  of  peace  between  the  United 
States  and  Santa  Anna  would  be  ratified  by  the  Mexi 
can  Congress,  and  that,  even  if  so  ratified,  a  majority  of 
the  states  would  pronounce  against  it. 

He  believed  that  the  armistice  should  never  have  been 
proposed,  and  even  two  days  after  it  had  been  agreed 
upon  he  doubted  the  wisdom  of  prolonging  it. 


350  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  Armistice.— Mexican  Treachery. — Credulity  of  Gen.  Scott. — 
Resumption  of  Hostilities. — Battle  of  Molino  del  Key. — Queries. — 
Council  at  Piedad. — Defenses  of  the  Capital. — Chapultepec.— Pil 
low's  Advance. — Quitman's  Assault. — Detour  of  Shields. — Quit- 
man  on  the  Rock  of  Chapultepec. — Advance  on  the  Belcn. — Leads 
the  Charge. — Surrender  of  the  City. — The  American  Flag. — Ap 
pointed  Governor  of  Mexico. — His  Popularity. — Returns  to  the 
United  States. — Reception  in  New  Orleans. — Welcome  home. 

UPOX  the  part  of  the  Americans  this  agreement  was 
rigorously  observed,  the  general-in-chief  even  forbidding 
his  engineers  to  make  reconnoissances,  but  it  was  daily 
infringed  by  the  Mexicans,  who  employed  the  oppor 
tunity  to  reorganize  their  army  and  strengthen  the  de 
fenses  of  the  capital.  In  the  mean  time  Mr.  Trist  entered 
into  negotiations  with  the  minister  of  foreign  relations, 
and  subsequently  with  commissioners,  whose  functions, 
however,  were  limited  to  the  mere  reception  of  propo 
sitions.  The  first  meeting  took  place  on  the  27th,  when 
Mr.  Trist  presented  the  projet  of  a  treaty  which  he  had 
brought  from  Washington.  Delay  was  asked  and  grant 
ed.  Pretext  upon  pretext  was  resorted  to.  The  whole 
army  saw  the  fraud  that  was  being  practiced  upon  us. 
But  the  Polk  policy,  Puritan  influence  at  home,  and  the 
insidious  representations  of  British  officials,  who  were 
constantly  at  head-quarters  flattering  Gen.  Scott  and  ca 
joling  Mr.  Trist,  prevailed.  The  American  chief,  when 
every  one  else  was  impressed  with  the  falsehood  of  Santa 
Anna,  reposed  on  his  good  faith,  although  warned  that, 
though  professing  the  most  pacific  views,  he  was  actual- 


JOHN  A.  QumiAS.  351 


ly  planning  a  night  attack  on  one  of  our  divisions.  In 
capable  of  dishonoring  the  plighted  word  of  a  soldier 
himself,  he  did  not  perceive  or  comprehend  the  treach 
ery  of  the  Mexican,  whose  antecedents,  and  the  general 
conduct  of  his  government  in  its  relations  with  the 
United  States,  should  have  rendered  Gen.  Scott  less 
credulous.  As  it  was,  the  illusion  continued  until  the 
designs  of  the  enemy  became  transparent,  and  on  the 
17th  of  September  the  hostile  relations  of  the  parties 
were  resumed. 

Our  first  demonstration  was  against  the  Mill  of  the 
King  (Molino  del  Rey),  a  massive  range  of  stone  mason 
ry,  one  mile  due  north  of  Tacubaya,  and  about  one  thou 
sand  yards  east  of  the  castle  of  Chapultepec.  It  was,  in 
fact,  an  outpost  of  that  formidable  fortress,  forming  a  part 
of  its  inclosure,  and  each  reciprocally  commanding  the 
approach  to  the  other.  West  of  the  Molino,  at  the  dis 
tance  of  450  yards,  stood  another  spacious  and  strongly- 
built  stone  structure  called  the  Casa  Mater.  Between 
these  an  effective  battery  had  been  located,  and  the  in 
tervals  were  lined  with  infantry.  Near  by  hovered  the 
ubiquitous  Alvarez,  with  his  swarm  of  Pintos.  This 
strong  position  —  doubly  strong  by  its  secure  communi 
cation  with  the  castle  of  Chapultepec  and  the  capital  — 
was  occupied  by  over  14,000  troops  of  the  line  and  na 
tional  guards,  and  commanded  by  Santa  Anna  in  person. 
General  Scott  had  been  induced  to  believe  by  "  intelli 
gent  neutrals,"  but  probably  by  emissaries  of  the  Mex 
icans,  that,  during  the  armistice,  the  Molino  had  been 
converted  into  a  foundery,  and  that  the  casting  of  can 
non  was  then  actually  going  on.  This  was  the  motive 
assigned  for  the  attack. 

Generals  Scott  and  Worth  made  a  survey  of  the  posi 
tion  on  the  7th,  but  formed  no  adequate  conception  of 
its  defenses,  which  had  been  skillfully  masked.  Captain 


352  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

Mason,  of  the  engineers,  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Duncan, 
of  the  artillery,  continued  the  reconnoissance,  as  the  event 
shows,  with  imperfect  results,  but  upon  their  report  Gen 
eral  Worth  made  his  arrangements  for  the  attack.  The 
details  of  this  disastrous  battle  are  well  known.  It  be 
gan  at  daybreak,  and  lasted  two  hours.  Worth's  force 
consisted  of  3100  men  of  all  arms.  They  fought  with 
desperation.  He  drove  the  enemy  from  all  his  positions, 
but  our  loss  was  frightful.  The  return  of  casualties 
runs  up  to  787,  including  a  long  list  of  distinguished  of 
ficers,  wTho  fell  in  the  assault  of  the  Casa  Mater,  which, 
instead  of  being,  as  Scott  and  Worth  supposed,  an  ordi 
nary  field  intrenchment,  proved  to  be  a  citadel,  of  old 
Spanish  masonry,  with  bastioned  intrcnchments  and  im 
passable  ditches. 

The  information  as  to  the  foundery  turned  out  to  be 
false.  But  it  is  contended  that  the  battle  was  neither 
unnecessary  or  fruitless,  because  the  Molino,  being  an  out 
work  of  Chapultepec  and  commanding  its  defenses,  its 
fall  contributed  to  our  subsequent  success,  and  that  the 
general  effect  was  to  destroy  the  confidence  of  the  Mex 
icans  in  their  ability  to  hold  any  position,  however  strong. 
The  general-in-chief  had  contemplated  a  night  attack, 
and  expected  to  penetrate  the  Molino  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet  with  little  loss.  General  Worth,  however,  after 
Mason  and  Duncan's  reconnoissance,  deferred  the  attack 
until  daybreak,  and,  rather  in  a  spirit  of  bravado,  gave 
notice  with  Huger's  guns  of  the  approach  of  his  assault 
ing  column.  If  he  relied  on  artillery,  would  it  not  have 
been  better  to  rely  on  it  exclusively,  employing  the  heavy 
metal  we  had  captured  at  Contreras  and  Churubusco  ? 
And,  instead  of  attacking  the  centre,  where  the  enemy 
was  strongest  and  our  loss  consequently  terrific,  would 
it  not  have  been  wiser  to  fall  on  his  left  or  right  wing 
at  dawn  of  day  with  the  bayonet,  and  enter  the  build 
ings  with  the  fugitives  ? 


JOHN    A.    QUITMAX.  353 

Be  this  as  it  may,  the  leading  Mexican  journals  de 
rived  comfort  from  this  bloody  affair,  and  declared  that 
a  few  such  victories  as  we  claimed  at  the  Molino  would 
convert  our  anticipated  conquest  into  a  chastisement  and 
a  curse. 

Santa  Anna  threw  a*  strong  force  into  Chapultepec, 
and  concentrated  the  remainder  of  his  army  within  the 
city  and  at  its  several  garitas.  Our  engineer  officers 
were  busily  employed  in  reconnoitring  the  defenses  of 
the  city.  On  the  llth  of  September  the  general-in-chief 
convened  a  meeting  of  general  officers  at  Piedad,  which 
the  engineers  likewise  attended. 

The  general-in-chief  said  that  he  desired  to  have  the 
opinion  of  his  officers  as  to  the  best  point  of  attack  on 
the  capital ;  that,  after  the  casualties  we  had  met  with 
in  our  several  engagements  in  the  valley  of  Mexico,  it 
became  a  matter  of  vital  importance  to  strike  a  decisive 
blow  on  that  part  of  the  capital  which  offered  the  great 
est  probability  of  success  with  the  smallest  chances  of 
loss,  and  that  the  decision  must  be  made  at  once.  He 
added  that  his  own  predisposition  was  for  an  attack  on 
Chapultepec  and  the  western  gates  of  the  city  (the  Be- 
len  and  San  Cosme),  but  that  he  desired  the  opinion 
of  his  officers  uninfluenced  by  any  impressions  he  had 
formed. 

General  Pillow  followed  in  a  long  harangue,  filled  with 
his  peculiar  notions  of  strategy,  and  the  attack  and  de 
fense  of  fortified  places,  and  concluded  strongly  in  favor 
of  an  attack  by  the  southern  gates. 

General  Quitman  modestly  said,  that,  having  no  personal 
knowledge  of  the  relative  strength  of  the  defenses,  and 
claiming  only  a  superficial  acquaintance  with  military 
science,  he  would  reserve  his  opinion  until  he  heard  the 
engineer  officers. 

Major  Smith,  Captain  Lee,  and  Lieutenants  Tower  and 


354  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

Stevens  gave  the  result  of  their  observations,  and  con 
cluded  in  favor  of  an  attack  by  the  southern  or  San  An 
tonio  gate,  which  decided  Generals  Quitman,  Shields, 
Pierce,  and  Cadwalader,  notwithstanding  the  deference 
they  felt  for  the  views  of  the  general-in-chief. 

General  Twiggs  expressed  his  concurrence  with  Gen 
eral  Scott. 

Colonel  Riley  wished  to  know  which  front  would  re 
quire  the  least  time  and  labor  for  the  construction  of  the 
batteries  ? 

Major  Smith  answered,  "  The  western."  "  Then,"  said 
the  bluif  old  soldier,  "I  go  in  for  more  fighting  and  less 
work." 

Neither  General  Worth  nor  General  Smith  were  pres 
ent,  the  former  being  engaged  in  selecting  the  sites  for 
batteries,  and  the  latter  on  special  duty  at  San  Angel. 

General  Scott  then  called  on  Lieutenant  Beauregard, 
whose  conduct  at  Yera  Cruz,  Cerro  Gordo,  and  Contre- 
ras  had  strongly  attracted  his  attention.  That  young 
officer  observed  that,  inasmuch  as  he  differed  in  toto 
with  his  brother  engineers,  he  felt  great  diffidence  in  ex 
pressing  his  views ;  that  ever  since  the  night  of  the  7th 
he  had  been  reconnoitring  the  southern  front  of  the 
city ;  that  he  had  seen  its  defenses  hourly  increasing  in 
profile,  development,  and  armament ;  that,  in  his  opinion, 
the  garita  San  Antonio  was  now  stronger  than  Churu- 
busco.  The  approach  was  open  to  the  view  and  to  the 
guns  of  the  enemy,  cut  up  with  deep  ditches,  and  almost 
entirely  under  water ;  that,  moreover,  there  was  no  pos 
sibility  of  attacking  there  by  the  flank  or  rear — our  most 
successful  tactic  with  the  Mexicans.  Santa  Anna  ex 
pected  an  attack  in  that  quarter,  and  had  made  his  prep 
arations  to  receive  us,  and  it  is  a  maxim  in  war  "  never 
to  do  what  your  enemy  expects  or  wishes  you  to  do." 
That  all  military  authorities  agreed  that  the  best  way  to 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAlSr.  355 

attack  a  large  city,  not  sufficiently  armed  and  garrisoned, 
is  simply  to  make  the  strongest  demonstration  practica 
ble  at  one  of  its  points,  and  then,  by  a  rapid  movement 
during  the  night,  to  attack  suddenly  about  daybreak 
some  other  point  more  or  less  remote,  at  the  same  time 
keeping  up  a  simulated  one  at  the  point  where  the  first 
demonstration  had  been  made ;  that,  as  the  general-in- 
chief  had  stated,  by  so  doing  we  would  have  the  advan 
tage  of  making  the  real  attack  on  -that  part  of  the  city 
which  offered  the  greatest  facilities  for  the  construction 
of  batteries  (if  required),  and  the  movement  of  troops; 
and  that,  by  first  seizing  Chapultepec,  we  secured  a 
pivot  to  move  upon  any  part  of  the  circumference  of  the 
city,  even  though  eventually  we  might  find  ourselves 
compelled  to  attack  those  same  southern  gates. 

General  Scott  having  asked  if  any  other  officer  pres 
ent  had  any  opinion  to  submit,  General  Pierce  said,  after 
what  he  had  just  listened  to,  he  asked  permission  to 
change  his  opinion.  He  w^as  now  in  favor  of  the  attack 
by  Chapultepec.  The  general-in-chief  then,  rising  to  the 
full  majesty  of  his  stature,  said:  "We  shall  attack  by 
the  western  gates;  the  general  officers  will  remain  for 
orders ;  the  meeting  is  dissolved."* 

The  outworks  of  the  CITY  OF  MEXICO  had  been  close 
ly  examined  by  Captain  Lee  and  Lieutenants  Beaure- 
gard,  Stevens,  and  Tower,  in  a  series  of  reconnoissances 

*  This  circumstantial  account  is  from  a  paper  indorsed  by  General 
Quitman — "  Minutes  of  the  Council  at  Pieclad." 

A  fortnight  afterward,  when  our  army  was  within  the  city,  while 
General  Scott  was  riding  with  Generals  Twiggs  and  Smith  on  the  San 
Cosme  road,  meeting  Lieutenant  Bcauregard  with  Colonel  Hitchcock 
and  Mr.  Trist,  he  said,  in  a  tone  of  feigned  severity,  "Young  man,  I 
wish  to  reprimand  you,  and  I  wish  the  whole  army  was  present ;  hut 
these  generals  represent  it.  Why  did  you  advise  me  to  attack  by  the 
western  gates  ?  You  now  see  the  consequences  !  We  have  taken  this 
great  city  and  the  halls  of  Montezuma,  after  a  few  hours'  hard  right 
ing,  and  with  only  a  loss  of  800  men.  Be  careful  in  future,  sir,  of 
such  bad  advice  to  your  seniors." 


356  LIFE   AND    COEBESPONDENCE   OF 

full  of  hazard  and  adventure.  The  city  is  built  on  a 
slight  elevation  near  the  centre  of  an  irregular  basin,  and 
is  girdled  with  a  ditch — for  the  most  part  a  canal  of  suf 
ficient  capacity  for  navigation.  There  are  eight  en 
trances,  or  gates,  strongly  defended.  All  the  approaches 
to  the  gates  are  narrow  causeways,  flanked  on  each  side 
by  deep  and  wide  ditches.  These  causeways  had  been 
recently  cut  in  various  places,  to  render  access  more  dif 
ficult,  and  they  were  completely  swept  by  the  front  and 
cross  fires  of  the  batteries  at  the  garitas  or  gates.  The 
roads  connecting  one  causeway  with  the  other  and  the 
bridges  at  the  intersections  had  been  broken,  and  the 
marshy  plain  around  was  inundated.  In  the  rear  of  the 
Belcu  gate  (a  strong  work,  with  parapet  and  ditch  on 
one  side  of  the  aqueduct,  and  a  redan  on  the  other),  at 
the  distance  of  1712  feet,  stands  the  citadel,  a  square 
bastioned  work,  whose  guns  commanded  the  Tacubaya 
causeway.  Projecting  out  from  this  like  a  huge  spider 
from  its  centre,  4656  feet  from  the  Belen  gate,  frowns 
the  castle  of  Chapultepec,  on  a  rock  150  feet  high,  only 
accessible  over  a  rugged  and  difficult  path  on  its  west 
ern  and  southwestern  sides.*  The  buildings  were  of 
solid  Spanish  masonry,  and  the  whole  had  been  fortified 
with  great  skill  and  upon  the  most  approved  principles. 
General  Nicolas  Bravo,  one  of  the  most  distinguished 
officers  of  Mexico,  with  the  ablest  of  her  artillerists  and 

*  Memorandum  of  Distances  made  for  General  Quitman  l)ij  Major  John 
L.  Smith,  Engineer  Corps. 

From  interior  extremity  of  citadel  to  garita  below 1712  feet. 

garita  to  bend  in  road  and  aqueduct 135 

this  bend  to  first  bridge 800 

first  to  second  bridge 2207 

second  bridge  to  the  battery 214 

battery  to  intersection  of  road  at  Chapiiltepec...l300 

Entire  distance G3G8 

Deduct  distance  from  citadel  to  garita 1712 

Leaving  as  distance  from  garita  to  Chapultepec 4656 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  357 

engineers,  and  GOOO  picked  troops,  was  intrusted  with 
its  defense. 

To  deceive  the  enemy  as  to  the  real  point  of  attack, 
on  the  night  of  the  llth  Lieutenant  Beauregard  was  or 
dered  to  locate  Steptoe's  battery,  which  opened  at  day 
light  against  the  works  at  the  garita  San  Antonio,  or 
southern  gate  of  the  city.  General  Twiggs  was  in  posi 
tion  near  by  to  sustain  this  demonstration. 

Pillow  and  Quitman  had  been  selected  to  command 
the  assault  on  Chapultepec,  the  former  to  attack  the 
western  ascent,  the  latter  the  more  formidable  works 
on  the  southeast.  Batteries  in  aid  of  both  were  located 
during  the  night  of  the  12th.  At  8  P.M.,  the  two  gen 
erals  and  General  Worth,  who  was  to  support  Pillow, 
repaired  to  head-quarters  to  receive  their  final  instruc 
tions.  Their  movements  after  the  fall  of  the  castle  were 
to  be  determined  upon  subsequently,  it  being  understood, 
however,  that  an  attack  upon  the  capital  would  immedi 
ately  follow  the  fall  of  Chapultepec.  There  was  a  pro 
tracted  discussion  as  to  the  best  mode  of  proceeding, 
during  which  General  Pillow  strongly  urged  a  peculiar 
plan  of  his  own ;  but  the  general-in-chief,  after  listening 
in  polite  and  patient  amazement,  gave  his  own  orders 
with  an  exactitude  not  to  be  misunderstood,  leaving,  of 
course,  a  certain  latitude  of  discretion  for  unforeseen 
contingencies. 

Worth  was  directed  to  support  Pillow,  one  brigade 
of  his  division  being  deemed  sufficient,  and  he  supplied 
him  with  a  storming  party  of  260  men  and  18  officers, 
led  by  Capt.  M'Kenzie,  of  the  2d  artillery. 

Smith's  brigade  was  ordered  to  support  Quitman. 
His  storming  party  was  composed — 1st.  Of  120  men, 
volunteers  from  his  own  division,  under  Major  Twiggs, 
of  the  marines.  2.  A  pioneer  party  of  40  select  men 
from  the  volunteer  division,  led  by  Captain  Reynolds,  of 


358  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OP 

the  marines.  3d.  250  of  Twiggs's  veterans,  and  13  offi 
cers  selected  out  of  the  rifles,  the  1st  and  4th  regiments 
of  artillery,  and  the  2d,  3d,  and  4th  regiments  of  infant 
ry,  all  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Casey,  of  the  2d  in 
fantry.  This  party  was  organized  into  six  divisions,  cor 
responding  to  the  different  regimental  detachments  of 
which  it  was  composed.  The  first  was  led  by  Captain 
Roberts,  of  the  rifles;  the  second  by  Lieut.  Hoskins,  1st 
artillery ;  the  third  by  Capt.  Dobbin,  3d  infantry ;  the 
fourth  by  Lieut.  Hill,  4th  artillery ;  the  fifth  by  Lieut. 
Westcott,  2d  infantry ;  the  sixth  by  Capt.  Paul,  7th  in 
fantry.  These  storming  parties  were  supported  by  Wat 
son's  battalion  of  marines. 

Sept.  13th,  1847.  The  signal  agreed  on  for  the  joint  at 
tack  was  the  simultaneous  cessation,  for  five  minutes,  of 
the  fire  of  our  heavy  batteries.  At  8  A.M.  on  the  13th 
this  signal  w^as  given,  and  both  columns  were  put  in 
motion. 

General  Pillow  started  from  the  Molino,  materially 
supported  by  Magruder's  battery,  and  was  soon  engaged 
with  the  Mexican  sharp-shooters  in  an  open  wood.  These 
being  speedily  dislodged,  he  rapidly  pushed  his  men  to 
the  foot  of  the  acclivity,  where  he  was  paralyzed  by  a 
glancing  ball.  The  intrqrid  Cadwalader  now  took  com 
mand,  and  over  rocks,  chasms,  and  mines  he  led  his 
teoops  up  the  steep  ascent  in  the  face  of  a  fearful  fire  of 
cannon  and  musketry.  They  gave  the  enemy  no  time  to 
explode  their  mines.  Those  who  attempted  it  were  shot 
down.  As  the  general-in-chief  graphically  expresses  it, 
"  There  was  death  above  as  well  as  below  the  ground." 
Thus  fighting  inch  by  inch,  leaping  from  rock  to  rock 
over  the  fiery  jaws  of  a  volcano,  and  still  struggling  up 
ward  and  onward,  this  band  of  heroes  scaled  the  main 
work  on  the  summit  of  the  castle,  and  their  exulting 
shout  rang  high  above  the  roar  of  artillery  and  the  crash 


JOHN    A.  QU1TMAN.  359 

of  small-arms,  which  hoarsely  resounded  upon  the  rock 
below  like,  the  surge  of  a  heavy  sea. 

In  this  assault  Pillow  had  the  advantage  of  starting, 
as  it  were,  from  within  the  enemy's  works,  and  found 
himself  on  an  equality  with  him  up  to  the  very  moment 
of  scaling  the  walls  at  the  crest  of  the  mount.  He  start 
ed  from  the  Molino,  an  adjunct  of  the  castle,  and  Magru- 
der's  battery  completely  commanded  the  wood  and  low 
grounds  on  that  side  of  Chapultepec. 

Quitman,  on  the  contrary,  had  to  advance  on  the  Tac- 
ubaya  causeway,  exposed  at  every  step  to  a  sweeping 
discharge  of  grape  from  the  formidable  outworks  at  the 
base  of  the  hill,  far  more  destructive  than  the  plunging 
fire  from  elevated  fortifications.  The  principal  battery 
mounted  five  guns,  and  was  supported  by  a  strong  de 
tachment  of  musketry  posted  on  the  east.  The  cause 
way  had  been  cut  at  intervals  to  render  approach  more 
difficult.  There  was  little  shelter  for  his  men  from  the 
storm  of  grapeshot,  and  deep  ditches  on  each  side,  and 
morasses  cut  up  with  canals,  left  no  margin  for  manosu- 
vring.  By  a  daring  reconnoissance  on  the  12th,  Quit 
man  had  acquired  a  knowledge  of  these  difficulties,  and 
made  up  his  mind  to  rely  chiefly  on  the  bayonet.*  Un 
der  a  tremendous  fire  from  the  five-gun  battery,  the 
breast-works,  and  the  castle,  Quitman  steadily  advanced 
by  a  flank,  the  storming  parties  in  front,  to  a  ruined 
building  within  200  yards  of  the  battery,  which  afforded 
partial  shelter.  Here  Quitman,  perceiving  that  a  strong- 
body  of  the  enemy  had  concentrated  on  our  front  and 
right,  directed  General  Shields,  with  the  New  York  and 
South  Carolina  regiments,  and  the  2d  Pennsylvania  regi 
ment,  Lieut.  Col.  Geary,  to  advance  obliquely  on  the  left 
and  breach  the  wall  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  and  thus  aid 

*  For  the  details  of  this  affair,  in  which  Lieut.  Lovell  greatly  dis 
tinguished  himself,  see  Appendix. 


360  LIFE   AND   COKKESPONDENCE    OF 

on  that  flank  the  assault  of  the  stormers.  It  was  a  mas 
terly  conception,  resulting  from  a  new  aspect  of  affairs, 
that  demanded  an  instant  change  in  the  plan  of  attack. 
He  perceived  it  in  a  moment,  arid  halted  his  stormers 
under  the  ruins,  while  the  volunteers  plunged  into  the 
morass.  Under  a  heavy  fire  of  grape  and  musketry  they 
struggled  forward.  Captain  Van  O'Linda,  of  the  New 
Yorkers,  was  shot  dead.  Lieut.  Col.  Baxter,  of  the  same 
regiment,  fell  mortally  wounded.  Col.  Geary  received  a 
severe  contusion.  General  Shields's  arm  was  shattered 
by  a  musket  ball,  but  he  refused  to  quit  the  field.  The 
New  Yorkers  and  Pennsylvania^  pushed  for  the  redan, 
through  which  they  entered  the  inclosure,  and  were  seen 
rapidly  climbing  the  ascent  to  take  a  glorious  part  in  the 
strife  then  raging  within  the  castle. 

"  Steady  they  step  adown  the  slope, 

Steady  they  climb  the  hill ; 
Steady  they  load — steady  they  fire — 
Marching  right  onward  still." 

The  Palmettos,  more  to  the  right,  and  more  exposed  to 
the  fire,  suffered  severely.  Led  by  the  intrepid  Glad 
den,  they  advanced  silently,  in  perfect  order  and  without 
firing  a  gun,  until,  like  a  storm-surge  on  their  native 
shore,  that  breaks  over  the  beach  and  sweeps  far  inland, 
carrying  drift  and  barriers  before  it,  they  broke  across 
the  breast-work  and  ascended  the  hill  to  support  the 
stormers  of  Pillow's  division.  There  these  regiments  of 
Quitman's  command  joined  in  the  assault,  and,  when  the 
gallant  Seymour,  of  Pierce's  brigade,  tore  down  the 
Mexican  flag,  the  standard  of  the  New  York  regiment 
was  hoisted  in  its  place.  Immediately  thereafter  the 
Palmetto  banner  floated  by  its  side,  and  Bravo,  the  vet 
eran  commander  of  Chapultepec,  surrendered  his  sword 
to  Lieut.  Brower,  of  the  New  Yorkers. 

While  Shields  was  executing  this  important  move- 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  301 

merit,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  seen  that  he  had  crossed  the 
outworks,  Quitman  ordered  the  assault.  The  stormers 
advanced  in  the  order  in  which  they  have  been  named. 
Major  Twiggs  was  shot  dead.  Capt.  Casey  was  severe 
ly  wounded,  and  the  command  devolved  on  Capt.  Paul. 
Capt.  Itoberts  led  the  advance,  and,  with  a  shout  that 
shook  the  earth,  they  rushed  upon  the  battery.  And 

then 

"  There  rose  so  wild  a  yell 
Within  that  dark  and  narrow  dell, 
As  though  the  fiends  from  heaven  that  fell 
Had  pealed  the  banner-cry  of  hell." 

The  sabre,  the  bayonet,  and  the  clubbed  rifle  soon  did 
their  work  of  death,  and  the  grim  victors  paused  while 
their  general  ascended  to  the  castle  to  reconnoitre  the 
positions  of  the  enemy.* 

*  Capt.  Casey,  who  led  the  stormers  until  he  was  disabled,  in  his 
report  says:  "From  the  desperate  nature  of  the  service,  and  their 
zealous  co-operation,  I  would  recommend  all  the  officers  composing 
the  storming  party  to  the  general-in-chief.  Capt.  lioberts,  by  his  po 
sition  as  commanding  the  leading  division  of  the  column,  more  par 
ticularly  attracted  my  attention.  From  what  I  myself  witnessed,  and 
from  the  testimony  of  others,  he,  by  his  activity,  zeal,  and  gallantry, 
merits  the  highest  praise." 

Injustice  was  done  to  these  heroic  men  in  some  of  the  official  re 
ports,  which  occasioned  the  following  appeal,  never  heretofore  in 
print. 

"  City  of  Mexico,  3d  Oct.,  1S4T. 

"GENERAL, — The  undersigned  officers  of  the  storming  party  from 
General  Twiggs's  division,  with  great  reluctance,  have  the  honor  to 
ask  a  court  of  inquiry  for  the  investigation  of  the  facts  connected 
Avith  the  storming  and  taking  of  the  five-gun  battery  in  the  rear  of 
Chapultepec. 

"  General  Twiggs,  in  his  order  congratulating  his  division  of  the 
army  for  its  successes  before  this  city,  credits  to  General  Smith's  bri 
gade  the  assaulting  and  taking  of  this  Avork ;  and  in  the  report  of 
Capt.  Paul,  who  succeeded  Capt.  Casey  in  the  command  of  the  storm 
ing  party  of  this  division,  Capt.  Paul  reports  that  he  charged  and  car 
ried  the  same  battery,  supported  by  Capt.  Roberts,  etc.,  etc.  Both 
the  order  from  Gen.  Twiggs  and  the  report  from  Capt.  Paul  contain 
errors  in  fact,  which,  without  correction,  are  calculated  to  injure  the 
officers  and  the  assaulting  party  who  stormed  and  carried  this  work. 

"We  regret  extremely,  General,  that  we  feel  constrained  to  ask 
this  investigation ;  but,  in  justice  to  ourselves  and  the  brave  men  who 

VOL,  I.— Q 


362  LIFF,    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

"What  a  spectacle  presented  itself,  as  he  gazed  with 
eagle  glance  from  that  lofty  eyry!  On  one  side  the 
battle-field,  where  so  many 

were  with  us,  it  seems  that  the  truth  should  appear.     It  will  then  be 
shown  that  this  battery  was  assaulted  and  carried  by  the  stormers 
commanded  by  Capt.  Roberts  without  the  aid  of  any  other  force. 
"We  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  high  regard,  etc., 

"B.  S.  ROBERTS,  Capt.  Rifles. 

<  S.  D.  DOBBIN,       "       3d  Infantry. 

'  J.  A.  HASKIN,  1st  Lieut.  1st  Art'ry. 

'  D.  H.  HILL,  Lieut.  4th  Artillery. 

'  JAMES  STUART,  2d  Lt.  M'nt'd.  Rifles. 

'  B.  E.  BEE,  2d  Lieut.  3d  Infantry. 

'  J.  B.  RICHARDSON,  Lieut.  3d  Inf  'try. 

'  GEO.  C.  WESTCOTT,  Lieut.  2d  Inf 'try. 

'  FRED.  STEELE,  Lieut.  3d  Infantry. 
-'For  Major  General  Winfield  Scott,  Com.  Army." 

There  was  influence  in  high  quarters,  and  other  considerations, 
perhaps,  that  prevented  this  investigation.  But  among  the  papers  of 
Gen.  Quitman  I  find  the  following  letter,  written,  evidently,  with  no 
view  to  publication,  but  as  it  is  to  vindicate  the  truth  of  history,  it 
should  make  a  part  of  the  record  of  Chapultcpec.  Col.  Roberts  was 
n  great  favorite  with  Quitman,  and  the  just  sensibility  of  a  soldier,  and 
his  sentiment  of  state  pride  this  letter  evinces,  are  worthy  of  high  con 
sideration. 

From  Lieut.  Col.  B.  S.  Roberts  to  Gen.  Quitman. 

"Washington,  June  23d,  1S52. 

"Mr  DEAR  GENERAL, — I  have  recently  been  called  upon  by  a  com 
mittee  of  gentlemen  from  my  native  state  to  furnish  them  with  a  his 
torical  account  of  the  services  I  rendered  in  the  battle  of  Mexico, 
which  I  can  not  with  propriety  do,  except  as  they  have  been  mention 
ed  in  the  official  reports  of  my  commanders.  In  these  reports,  how 
ever,  there  is  apparent  conflict,  and  they  would  not  be  clearly  under 
stood  without  explanations  that  military  propriety  would  forbid  my 
making.  For  example,  Gen.  Smith  reports  that  the  flag  raised  on 
the  capital  was  raised  by  '  a  non-commissioned  officer'  of  the  rifles. 
Gen.  Twiggs  makes  the  same  statement.  These  reports  are  not  cor 
rect  in  spirit  or  in  fact.  You  detailed  me  for  that  service,  and  /ren 
dered  it,  raising  that  flag  mainly  with  my  own  hands,  and  I  was,  in 
fact,  the  first  American  who  entered  the  palace  and  cleared  it  of  the 
leperos. 

"Gen.  Smith,  Gen.  Twiggs,  and  Gen.  Scott  all  report,  in  substance, 
that  Smith's  brigade  became  stormers  at  the  fort  of  Chapultepec,  and 
entered  the  works  with  the  storming  party.  This  is  not  so.  I  applied 
to  Gen.  Smith  to  re-enforce  me  on  finding  the  batteries  impregnable, 
and  he  positively  refused  to  aid  in  the  storming,  and  said  I  must 
go  to  you  for  orders,  his  were  to  support  me.  You  were  then  at  the 
stone  ranch  by  the  road-side,  and  I  went  to  you,  repeating  that  my 
party  was  so  cut  to  pieces  that  I  must  be  re-enforced.  You  replied, 


JOHN    A.  Q HITMAN.  363 

"The  same  wild  road, 
On  the  same  bloody  morning,  trode 
To  that  dark  inn,  the  grave  !" 

Above  him,  the  flags  of  bis  own  division,  mutilated  in 
the  strife,  but  floating  proudly,  the  symbols  of  a  con 
quering  race.  Before  him,  the  splendid  capital  of  an 
empire  whose  traditions  and  vicissitudes  constitute  the 
romance  of  history.  He  felt  the  grandeur  of  the  mo 
ment,  and  saw,  with  the  eye  of  a  soldier,  the  brilliant 
destiny  in  reserve  for  him.  The  Tacubaya  causeway 
was  the  nearest  approach  to  the  imperial  city,  and  the 
Belen  gate  and  the  citadel,  though  bristling  with  can 
non,  and  guarded  by  Santa  Anna  and  the  flower  of  his 
army,  would  full  before  the  energy  and  enthusiasm  of 
his  troops.  He  did  not  pause  for  consultation  or  for  or 
ders,  but  deriving  his  authority  from  the  force  of  cir- 

4  Captain  Roberts,  you  must  storm  and  carry  the  lattery  within  ten  min 
utes  r  I  said  I  cotdd  do  so  if  given  the  command  of  marines  and  all 
that  remained.  Your  reply  was,  '•Take  the  command.'  I  did  so  ;  ral 
lied,  on  my  way  back,  the  stragglers  and  the  marines,  and  took  the 
work.  I  assert,  and  can  not  be  contradicted,  that  none  of  Gen. 
Smith's  brigade  (except  the  stormers)  had  any  thing  to  do  in  the  as 
sault,  neither  did  they  come  into  the  work  until  it  had  been  in  my 
possession  some  fifteen  minutes.  History  demands  that  these  things 
should  be  set  right. 

"In  Capt.  Paul's  report  to  Gen.  Rilcy,  lie  claims,  in  spirit,  to  have 
led  the  stormers,  and  has  got  the  reputation  of  having  taken  the  bat 
tery  in  the  rear  of  Chapultepec.  I  required  him  to  alter  the  report  he 
made  to  you,  setting  the  matter  right. 

"General,  I  have  always  been  convinced  that  there  were  unworthy 
and  unmanly  attempts  to  deprive  your  division  of  the  fame  of  captur 
ing  the  city  of  Mexico.  The  attempt  on  the  part  of  Gen.  Smith  and 
Gen.  Twiggs  to  turn  to  the  credit  of  Smith's  brigade  the  service  ren 
dered  by  the  stormers  under  your  personal  orders  and  direction  should 
be  rebuked. 

"I  will  thank  you  to  write  me,  at  your  earliest  convenience,  the 
facts  of  this  case.  They  are,  that  the  storming  party  alone  captured 
the  5-gun  battery  in  the  rear  of  Chapultepec ;  that  you  assigned  me 
to  the  command  of  it  on  the  field ;  that  the  flag  carried  by  that  party 
was  the  one  raised  on  the  capital,  and  that  it  was  raised  there  by  me. 
My  friends  in  Vermont  think  it  is  due  to  the  truth  of  history  that 
these  facts  should  appear,  and  that  my  native  state  may  know  what 
service  Vermonters  rendered  under  vo\ir  command." 


304  LII<\E   AND    COEKESPOXDENCE    OF 

cumstances,  and  yielding,  as  Wellesley  did  at  Salamanca, 
to  the  inspiration  of  the  moment,  he  placed  himself  at 
the  head  of  his  column,  and  stormed,  in  succession,  two 
batteries,  about  midway  between  the  castle  and  the  cit 
adel.  The  desperate  work  before  him  was  now  appar 
ent.  There  stood  the  Belen,  with  its  powerful  batter 
ies  ;  just  in  its  rear,  the  citadel,  capable  of  throwing  an 
enormous  amount  of  metal — an  enfilading  fire  from  the 
guns  of  the  Paseo — a  long  line  of  musketry  011  the  Pie- 
dad  road,  and  a  swarm  of  sharp-shooters  lurking  wher 
ever  there  was  shelter  and  concealment.  Of  all  these 
obstacles  he  was  apprised.  Reorganizing  his  column — 
mingling  the  Palmettos  with  Loring's  rifles  in  advance — 
supported  by  the  2d  Pennsylvania  regiment,  the  marine 
battalion,  Seymour's  regiment  of  Pierce's  brigade,  a  de 
tachment  of  the  6th  infantry  under  Major  Bonneville, 
and  the  residue  of  Smith's  and  Shields's  brigades,  he  ad 
vanced  to  the  desperate  work  before  him,  silent  and  re 
solved,  with  no  music  but  the  thunder  of  cannon  and  the 
rattling  roar  of  small-arms.  When  within  two  hundred 
yards  of  the  Belen,  Major  Loring  fell,  severely  wounded. 
At  this  juncture  Gen.  Quitman  seized  a  rifle,  attached 
his  handkerchief  to  it  as  a  flag,  and  waving  it  over  his 
head,  ordered  the  assault.  With  one  wild  cheer  they 
followed  their  leader  through  a  hurricane  of  fire,  and  at 
20  minutes  past  1  drove  the  enemy  from  his  guns.  Quit 
man,  black  with  smoke,  and  stained  writh  blood,  leaped 
upon  the  battery  and  called  for  a  flag.  Lieut.  Sellick,  a 
young  and  dauntless  Carolinian,  vaulted  to  his  side,  and 
amid  the  iron  tempest  from  the  citadel,  proudly  planted 
the  Palmetto  banner.  Like  the  famous  Jasper  of  the 
Revolution,  he  fell  under  its  folds. 

Gen.  Smith,  aware  that  they  were  performing  an  act 
in  a  great  drama  that  history  would  never  forget,  held 
up  his  watch,  and  called  on  all  to  note  the  time.  The 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  365 

ensign  of  conquest  floated  on  the  walls  of  the  capi 
tal. 

Our  troops  in  advance  of  the  garita  were  now  directed 
to  fall  back  to  the  partial  shelter  it  afforded  until  bat 
teries  could  be  constructed  to  support  the  attack  upon 
the  citadel.  During  the  night,  by  extraordinary  exer 
tions,  and  at  much  personal  hazard,  Lieut.  Beauregard 
located  a  number  of  batteries  for  our  heavy  pieces  ;  but 
at  break  of  day,  on  the  14th,  a  flag  from  the  citadel  pro 
posed  to  surrender.  The  Mexican  chief,  with  his  troops, 
had  withdrawn  from  the  capital.*  Leaving  the  Palmet 
tos  posted  at  the  Belen,  and  the  2d  Pennsylvania  regi 
ment  in  the  citadel,  with  the  rifles  in  front,  and  Steptoe's 
battery  in  the  rear,  Quitman  conducted  his  column  to  the 
Grand  Plaza,  and  formed  in  front  of  the  national  palace. 
lie  gave  orders  to  plant  the  flag  of  our  republic  upon  its 
dome,  and  precisely  at  7  A.M.  it  was  saluted  by  his  di 
vision. f 

At  8  A.M.  the  general-in-chief,  with  his  staff,  in  full 


"Mexico,  September  13th,  1S47. 
"  Major  General  Qintman: 

"DEAR  SIR. — By  your  request,  find  also  for  your  information,  I  beg 
to  state,  that  on  this  night,  before  twelve,  Gen.  Santa  Anna  abandoned 
this  city,  taking  with  him  about  five  thousand  cavalry  and  upward  of 
four  thousand  infantry,  and  twenty-six  pieces  of  artillery,  besides  sev 
eral  cart-loads  of  ammunition. 

"I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  high  respect  and  esteem,  your  most 
obedient  servant,  11.  L.  GRAVES. 

"P.S. — The  above  information  I  am  enabled  to  give  you  from  my 
obscrvation,  having  come  into  the  city  during  the  armistice,  and  being 
unable  to  get  a  pass  from  Gen.  Santa  Anna  (which  was  then  required) 
I  was  forced  to  remain  in  the  city." 

f  Gen.  Quitman  thus  describes  this  event:  "When  forming  my 
division  on  the  plaza,  I  perceived  several  non-commissioned  officers 
hastening  towards  the  palace  with  their  regimental  colors.  I  cried 
out,  '  No,  my  brave  fellows,  take  back  your  colors.  The  first  flag  on 
that  palace  must  be  the  flag  of  our  country.'  Capt.  Roberts,  of  the 
rifles,  was  then  directed  to  bring  forward  a  stand  of  national  colors 
and  plant  them  upon  the  palace."  For  more  on  this  subject,  see 
"American  Flag  in  Mexico,"  published  by  order  of  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States. 


366  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

uniform  and  escorted  by  cavalry,  appeared  on  the  Grand 
Plaza,  and  was  received  by  Quitman  with  the  highest 
military  honors.  He  had  intended  to  enter  the  city  first, 
with  Worth's  division,  by  the  longer  and  easier  route  of 
the  San  Cosme  causeway,  and  had  there  concentrated  his 
strongest  array.  But  this  intention  had  been  defeated 
by  the  bold,  impetuous,  and  masterly  operations  of  Quit- 
man.*  Captivated,  however,  by  the  brilliant  coup-de 
mean  of  the  Mississippian,  and  the  great  military  qual 
ities  he  had  exhibited  on  these  last  three  eventful  days, 
the  general-in-chief  immediately  appointed  him  Governor 
of  the  City  of  Mexico. 

And  now,  at  last,  the  soldier's  dream  of  ambition  was 
realized.  He  stood  over  the  ashes  of  Montezuma,  and 
ruled  where  Cortez,  the  prodigy  of  the  sixteenth  cen 
tury,  had  held  his  regal  sway.  First  in  the  fortress  of 
Chapultepec !  First  on  the  walls  of  the  capital !  First 
in  possession  of  the  city !  First  to  erect  our  national 
standard  on  its  loftiest  tower ! 

"  Oh,  war !  them  hast  thy  fierce  delight, 
Thy  gleams  of  joy  intensely  bright! 

*  In  his  official  report,  General  Scott  says : 

"I  had  been,  from  the  first,  well  aware  that  the  western,  or  San 
Cosme,  was  the  less  difficult  route  to  the  centre  and  conquest  of  the 
capital,  and,  therefore,  intended  that  Quitman  should  only  manoeuvre 
and  threaten  the  Belcn  or  southwestern  gate,  in  order  to  favor  the 
main  attack  by  Worth — knowing  that  the  strong  defenses  at  the  Be- 
len  were  directly  under  the  guns  of  the  much  stronger  fortress,  called 
the  citadel,  just  within.  Both  of  these  defenses  of  the  enemy  were  also 
within  easy  supporting  distance  from  the  San  Angel  (or  Nino  Perdi- 
do)  and  San  Antonio  gates.  Hence  the  greater  support,  in  numbers, 
given  to  Worth's  movement  as  the  main  attack. 

"Those  views  I  repeatedly,  in  the  course  of  the  day,  communicated 
to  Major  General  Quitman;*  but,  being  in  hot  pursuit  —  gallant  him 
self,  and  ably  supported  by  Brigadier  Generals  Shields  and  Smith, 
Shields  badly  wounded  before  Chapultepec  and  refusing  to  retire,  as 
well  as  by  all  the  officers  and  men  of  the  column — Quitman  continued 
to  press  forward  under  flank  and  direct  fires,  carried  an  intermediate 
battery  of  two  guns,  and  then  the  gate,  before  two  o'clock  in  the  aft 
ernoon,  but  not  without  proportionate  loss,  increased  by  his  steady 
maintenance  of  that  position." 


JOHN    A.    QUITMAN.  367 

Such  gleams  as  from  thy  polished  shield 
Fly  dazzling  o'er  the  battlc-licld  ! 
Such  transports  wake,  severe  and  high, 
Amid  the  pealing  conquest  cry!" 

INCIDENTS  OF  THE  THREE  DAYS. 

In  the  desperate  conflicts  on  the  causeway  and  at  the 
Belcn,  Quitman  had  incurred  all  the  hazard  of  his  storm 
ing  parties.  Every  member  of  his  staff  was  wounded. 
Lieutenant  Wilcox,  one  of  his  most  efficient  aids,  says  : 
"  The  general  was  greatly  exposed.  Our  brave  fellows 
were  falling  fast  when  he  directed  me  to  order  up  the 
storming  party.  I  found  Captain  Casey  severely  wound 
ed.  He  referred  me  to  Lieutenant  Gantt.  As  I  ap 
proached  to  give  the  order  he  was  shot  dead.  I  then 
gave  it  to  Lieutenant  Steele.  Rejoining  the  general,  I 
found  that  General  Shields,  Adjutant  General  Page,  and 
Lieutenant  Tower  had  all  been  wounded.'7 

HIS    RESOLUTION    AND    PERSISTENCY. 

That  gallant  officer,  Captain  D.  D.  Baker,  of  the  ma 
rines,  writes  :  "  During  the  12th  we  were  under  fire  all 
day,  but  General  Quitman's  bearing  and  indomitable 
spirit  pervaded  our  ranks.  On  the  night  of  the  12th  he 
defeated  an  attempt  to  re-enforce  the  garrison  of  Cha- 
pultepec.  On  the  13th  he  led  his  troops  against  the  bat 
teries  under  a  tremendous  fire,  and  aided  to  carry  the 
castle  with  the  bayonet.  My  brave  commander,  Lieute 
nant  Colonel  Watson,  shortly  before  he  fell,  directed  me 
to  communicate  with  the  general,  and  I  found  him,  with 
Captain  Drum,  engaged  in  turning  a  captured  gun  against 
the  enemy.  He  detained  me  a  few  moments  to  assist. 
After  we  had  stormed  the  battery,  I  met  him  on  the 
heights  of  Chapultepec.  He  said  to  me, '  Adjutant,  your 
marines  behaved  nobly.  But  we  must  now  push  for  the 
Belen.'  'General,'  said  I,  'the  citadel  is  in  your  front.' 


368  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

4 1  am  aware  of  it,  sir,  but  we  must  try  it.'  He  placed 
himself  at  the  head  of  his  men,  fought  his  way  along  the 
aqueduct,  stormed  the  garita,  and  at  half  past  1  P.M.,  a 
tempest  of  grape,  canister,  and  musketry  roaring  around 
him,  he  stood  upon  the  captured  battery,  waved  his  hand 
kerchief  on  the  point  of  his  sword,  and  claimed  posses 
sion  of  the  city." 

NAEEOW   ESCAPE. 

A  short  time  after  the  garita  was  stormed,  while  Gen 
erals  Quitman,  Smith,  and  Shields,  and  several  of  their 
aids,  and  Lieutenant  Beauregard  were  conversing,  a  how 
itzer  shell  from  the  citadel  struck  the  upper  edge  of  the 
aqueduct  immediately  above  their  heads,  exploding  at 
the  same  time.  The  concussion  knocked  them  all  down, 
but  none  of  them  were  wounded.  The  gallant  Major 
Loring  says :  "  General  Quitman  was  at  the  head  of  my 
regiment  at  the  time  I  was  shot.  We  were  the  nearest 
American  soldiers  to  the  city  of  Mexico  and  their  army 
at  the  time  I  was  wounded.  After  I  fell,  he  armed  him 
self  with  one  of  my  rifles  in  their  charge  upon  the  Garita 
de  Belen,  fired  his  last  cartridge,  then  tied  his  handker 
chief  to  its  muzzle,  and  waved  his  gallant  soldiers  over 
the  breastwork — being  the  first  to  mount  amid  the  ter 
rible  carnage  that  followed.  I'll  venture  to  say  there 
are  few  instances  in  history  where  one  so  high  in  rank 
and  advanced  in  life  has  thus  had,  and  availed  himself  of, 
the  brilliant  opportunity  of  wreathing  around  his  brow 
so  distinct  a  title  to  the  honor  of  being  regarded  the 
'  bravest  of  the  brave.'  " 

DEATH    OF    CAPTAIN   DRUM. 

"  About  this  time,"  says  Lieutenant  Beauregard,  "  Cap 
tain  Drum  and  Lieutenant  Benjamin  passed  with  their 
pieces  (one  24-pound  howitzer  and  one  long  18-pounder) 


JOHN    A.   QUITMAN.  309 

on  each  side  of  the  aqueduct,  firing  as  they  advanced,  in 
the  face  of  a  heavy  fire  of  grape  and  canister,  solid  shot 
and  shells.  After  the  sei/.ure  of  the  garita  Drum  took 
possession  of  an  8-pounder,  turned  it  round  on  its  own 
platform  against  a  battery  near  the  citadel,  and,  after 
having  several  sets  of  men  cut  down,  fell  himself  mortal 
ly  wounded  by  a  shot  that  broke  both  his  legs.  And 
thus  perished  one  of  the  most  promising  and  popular  of 
ficers  in  the  service.  A  few  moments  afterward  his  lieu 
tenant,  Benjamin,  boldly  pushing  his  piece  toward  the 
citadel,  fell,  to  rise  no  more,  on  the  corpses  of  the  brave 
gunners  that  lay  thickly  around." 

A    BRAVE    SERGEANT. 

During  the  advance  one  of  Benjamin's  men,  becoming 
terrified  under  the  awful  fire  of  grape  and  canister,  took 
refuge  in  one  of  the  arches  of  the  aqueduct,  and  when 
called  back  to  his  gun,  moved  very  reluctantly.  The 
sergeant,  who  had  just  been  wounded  in  the  leg,  band 
aged  it  with  his  handkerchief,  and,  hobbling  to  the  man, 
repeated  the  order.  The  fellow  still  moving  slowly,  the 
impatient  officer  drew  his  sabre  and  thrashed. him  back 
to  his  duty.  It  was  indeed  a  terrible  post,  and  never  did 
men  stand  by  it  more  firmly. 

INTREPIDITY    OP   GENERAL   SMITH. 

"After  taking  the  garita,"  says  Lieut.  Beauregard, 
"  while  waiting  for  the  approach  of  night  to  enable  us  to 
construct  our  batteries,  screening  ourselves  as  best  we 
could  from  the  heavy  fire  of  the  citadel,  Gen.  Persifer  F. 
Smith  performed  one  of  the  most  daring  acts  ever  wit 
nessed.  Between  the  battery  at  this  point  and  the  aque 
duct,  there  was  an  opening  of  some  twelve  feet  for  the 
passage  of  vehicles  between  the  city  and  Chapultepec. 
This  was  completely  swept  by  the  guns  of  the  citadel, 

Q2 


370  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

which  kept  up  an  incessant  discharge  of  grape  and  canis 
ter,  and  by  the  Mexican  sharp-shooters  from  behind  the 
arches  of  the  aqueduct.  It  was  a  matter  of  life  and 
death  to  cross  this  passage  from  one  side  of  our  position 
to  the  other.  One  of  the  riflemen  started  to  cross  it, 
and,  instead  of  going  over  in  a  direct  line  and  in  double- 
quick  time,  he  crossed  diagonally  and  leisurely.  As  a 
matter  of  course  he  was  shot  down.  He  raised  himself 
several  times  on  his  elbow,  but  could  not  get  up.  Gen. 
Smith  ordered  a  party  to  bring  him  in.  Several  soldiers 
stepped  forward,  but  recoiled  from  the  fatal  passage, 
through  which  poured  a  torrent  of  projectiles.  Upon 
the  order  being  repeated  they  advanced  a  step,  and 
stood  apparently  paralyzed.  Gen.  Smith  got  up,  un 
buckled  his  sword,  and,  without  saying  a  word,  went  to 
the  wounded  soldier  and  stooped  to  raise  him  up.  In  a 
moment  a  dozen  officers  and  men  were  at  his  side,  and, 
wonderful  to  say,  they  all  got  back  safely,  the  enemy 
having,  fortunately,  intermitted  his  fire.  They  brought 
in  a  corpse. 

"  As  though  to  show  the  chances  of  war,  soon  after 
tliis  a  solid  shot  ricochet  killed  five  or  six  of  our  men 
who. were  under  the  arches  of  the  aqueduct,  and  had  felt 
themselves  perfectly  safe." 

A   MIDNIGHT   ADVENTURE. 

"  During  the  night  of  the  13th,"  continues  Lieut.  Beau- 
regard,  "  Gen.  Quitman  and  I  were  groping  along  in 
the  dark,  in  front  of  our  position,  in  search  of  a  suitable 
site  for  a  second  battery  he  desired  to  have.  The  gen 
eral  pertinaciously  insisted  that  the  ground  before  us  was 
high.  I  expressed  my  doubts,  when  suddenly  he  disap 
peared  head  foremost,  and  I  had  scarcely  heard  his  plunge 
before  down  I  went  myself  neck-deep  in  the  Piedad  Ca 
nal  !  I  could  not  forbear  rating  the  general  about  his 


JOHN    A.    QUITATAN.  37 1 

*  high  land,'  and  asking  what  he  thought  of  it  now.  He 
readily  admitted  that  'it  was  rather  lower  than  he  had 
taken  it  to  be.'  We  did  not  give  up,  however,  but 
scrambled  out  and  located  our  battery,  and  by  daylight 
had  our  guns  in  position  and  our  matches  lighted.  This 
was  very  hard  work,  but  was  done  with  the  aid  of  my 
gallant  friends,  Lieut.  Coppie,  1st  artillery,  and  Lieut. 
Wood,  3d  infantry. 

A   FASTIDIOUS    OFFJCEE. 

"Upon  the  offer  to  surrender  the  citadel  Gen.  Quit- 
man  dispatched  Lieut.  Lovell  and  myself  to  confer  with 
the  officer,  detaining  the  flag  as  a  hostage.  The  officer 
in  charge  offered  to  pass  over  every  thing  to  us,  but  de 
manded  our  receipts.  It  was  with  difficulty  we  made 
him  comprehend  that  receipts  on  such  occasions  wrere 
written  with  blood  and  signed  with  the  bayonet." 

NEW   STYLE    OF   TEINTIXG. 

During  the  storming  of  the  Belen  Lieutenant  Wilcox 
was  struck  down,  and  supposed  to  be  killed.  His  re 
volver,  hanging  to  his  belt,  saved  his  life.  The  ball 
struck  its  barrel,  and  was  picked  up  as  flat  as  a  dollar, 
with  the  name  of  the  maker  and  the  place  where  it  was 
made  legibly  stamped  upon  it. 

A   FAITHFUL  TEAMSTEE. 

"  While  we  lay  under  shelter  at  the  garita  an  ammu 
nition-wagon  came  trotting  down  the  road.  Knowing 
that  the  enemy  would  open  upon  him  we  signaled  to 
him  to  turn  back,  but  he  did  not  notice  our  signs  and 
came  on.  The  road  being  too  narrow  to  turn,  we  di 
rected  him  to  unhitch.  While  doing  this  two  of  his 
team  were  killed.  We  called  to  him  to  get  under  cover. 
4  No,  be  Jasus,'  said  lie,  'I  must  save  my  mules.'  And, 


372  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

notwithstanding  the  shower  of  grape,  he  got  off  safely 
toward  Chapultepec." 

QUITMAN   IN   BATTLE. 

A  distinguished  officer  of  the  2d  Pennsylvania  regi 
ment,  Avriting  from  the  City  of  Mexico  to  the  Philadel 
phia  Inquirer,  says : 

"This  battle  at  the  garita  was  the  hottest  point  of 
the  whole  war.  It  lasted  from  noon  until  dark  of  the 
13th  of  September.  A  few  hundred  of  us  congregated 
around  the  gate  which  gave .  us  entrance  to  the  city. 
"We  had  one  field-piece  there,  taken  from  the  enemy 
when  we  drove  them  from  the  gates  to  their  citadel. 
In  using  that  field-piece  we  were  entirely  without  pro 
tection,  and  were  exposed  to  the  fires  of  the  citadel  (one 
of  the  strongest  in  the  world),  of  a  cross  battery,  and  of 
thousands  of  men  in  position  on  the  Paseo. 

"The  conduct  of  Major  General  Quitman  was  truly 
sublime.  I  never  witnessed  so  much  chivalrous  heroism, 
united  with  so  much  concern  for  his  men,  and  with  so 
much  cool  intellectual  battle  wisdom.  While  he  calmly 
dared  every  thing,  his  mind  was  supreme,  presiding  over 
every  thing,  and  making  provision  for  every  emergency. 
At  all  points  he  was  exposed,  and  he  would  suffer  no 
man  to  expose  himself  to  shield  him.  On  one  occasion, 
when  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  pass  along  a  line  of 
desperate  exposure  to  effect  an  object,  I  approached 
him  and  asked  permission  to  do  what  he  was  about  to 
do  in  person,  to  bear  his  message,  intimating  to  him  that 
my  own  fall  would  be,  in  the  crisis  of  the  moment,  of  no 
importance  compared  with  his.  His  reply  was,  while  he 
puffed  away  at  his  cigar, 4  No,  take  care  of  yourself;  it  is 
necessary  for  me  to  do  it.'  And  he  did  do  it.  At  an 
other  time,  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  when  our 
own  gun  was  silenced  (for  we  had  run  out  of  arnmum- 


JOHN    A.    QUTTMAN.  373 

tion),  and  the  fire  of  the  enemy  was  fast  dealing  death 
around,  I  asked  him  to  let  me  be  one  of  a  select  party  at 
once  to  storm  and  take  the  citadel,  and  by  one  dreadful 
sacrifice,  if  needs  be,  put  an  end  to  this  one-sided  work 
of  blood.  His  reply,  again,  was  in  the  same  spirit, c  N~o, 
I  will  not  permit  my  brave  men  thus  to  be  sacrificed.  I 
must  take  care  of  them  as  well  as  conquer  the  foe.  All 
I  now  design  is  to  maintain,  with  as  little  loss  as  possi 
ble,  my  present  position  until  night.  When  night  cov 
ers  us  we  will  bring  up  our  guns ;  will  have  an  abund 
ance  of  ammunition ;  we  will  construct  a  battery,  and 
before  to-morrow's  sun  is  an  hour  high  we  will  plant  our 
country's  flag  on  the  capital  of  Mexico — Mexico  will  be 
ours !'  All  this  was  said  in  the  calmest  manner,  while 
he  quietly  smoked  his  cigar,  without  the  least  emphasis 
or  excitement,  with  no  discernible  manifestation  of  boast 
or  vainglory,  and  with  the  enemy's  balls  falling  as  hail 
around  him. 

"  We  did  maintain  our  position ;  we  did  construct  our 
battery,  making  all  right ;  we  did  bring  up  more  cap 
tured  guns,  and  with  them  an  abundant  supply  of  am 
munition.  And  soon  after  the  day's  dawn,  before  the 
sun's  rays  had  lighted  up  the  scene  of  desolation  around 
us,  the  white  flag  of  the  enemy  approached — the  citadel 
and  city  were  surrendered,  and,  before  the  sun  was  an 
hour  high,  the  flag  of  our  country  floated  in  triumph 
over  the  national  palace — the  Halls  of  the  Montezumas, 
whence  I  now  write. 

"  The  manner  of  General  Quitman,  even  in  the  midst 
of  the  most  exciting  danger,  is  the  calmest  you  can  con 
ceive  of.  His  orders  are  as  quietly  communicated  as  if 
he  were  conversing  with  a  friend  at  the  dinner-table. 
His  presence,  his  mild,  benevolent  face,  his  daring  cour 
age,  his  concern  for  all  but  himself,  his  mind  providing 
for  every  thing,  inspire  universal  confidence,  and  seem 


374  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

to  animate  all  who  follow  with  the  same  indomitable 
heroic  spirit  of  him  who  leads." 

THE   WAEEIORS'   REUNION. 

Colonel  John  D.  Elliott  relates  the  following  touching 
incident : 

"  Soon  after  the  termination  of  the  Mexican  war,  while 
on  a  visit  to  Washington  city,  we  made  the  acquaintance 
of  Major  Loring.  During  our  sojourn,  General  Quitman, 
who  had  been  in  attendance  upon  a  court-martial  at 
Frederick,  arrived  in  the  city  and  took  lodgings  at  the 
United  States  Hotel.  On  hearing  of  his  arrival  we  re 
paired,  in  company  with  Major  Loring,  to  his  quarters. 

"  The  hero  of  Chapultepec  earnestly  grasped  the  ex 
tended  hand  of  his  guest,  and,  with  moistened  eye,  for  a 
moment  stood  speechless  in  the  presence  of  one  whose 
right  arm  had  been  lost  jn  the  effort  to  save  the  life  of 
his  commander.  It  was  their  first  meeting  since  the 
gallant  major  had  been  borne  from  the  field  of  battle  in 
the  storm  upon  the  Garita  de  Beleu. 

"We  gathered,  from  what  was  said,  that  General  Quit 
man  was  in  the  act  of  giving  some  word  of  command  to 
the  major,  when  the  practiced  eye  of  the  latter,  and  his 
knowledge  of  projectiles,  discovered  the  elevation  of  a 
piece  of  cannon,  charged  with  grape,  about  being  dis 
charged  directly  upon  them.  They  were  both  standing 
adjacent  to  the  arched  wall  of  the  aqueduct,  when  the 
major,  without  time  to  speak,  forcibly  impelled  General 
Quitman  beneath  the  arch  in  time  to  screen  him  from 
the  destructive  fire,  but  not  to  save  himself  from  the 
deadly  blow,  which  cost  him  the  loss  of  one  arm  and 
nearly  his  life.  Such  self-sacrificing  devotion,  such  noble 
impulse,  deeply  impressed  the  heart  of  the  fearless  vet 
eran,  and  now,  for  the  first  time,  he  sought  language  to 
convey  in  person  some  feeble  testimony  of  its  apprecia 
tion." 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  375 

"On  the  evening  of  the  12th  Sept.,"  says  Sergeant 
Dcvit,  3d  artillery,  "  a  detachment  from  the  3d  was  or 
dered  to  man  four  iron  guns  on  the  Tacubaya  causeway. 
One  piece,  a  24-pounder,  was  confided  to  me.  One  of 
my  shots  took  effect  near  the  flag-staff  of  the  castle,  and 
tore  off  a  section  of  the  roof.  Stepping  up  to  me,  Gen. 
Quitman  said,  '  Well  done,  sergeant.  We  shall  get  that 
flag  first.'  A  few  moments  after  this  Gen.  Shields  came 
up,  and  sprung  upon  a  ridge  on  the  side  of  the  road, 
where  an  opening  in  the  pulque  bushes  had  been  made. 
Gen.  Quitman  insisted  on  his  coming  down,  because  he 
had  noted  it  as  directly  within  range  of  one  of  the  Mexi 
can  guns.  Gen.  Shields  had  scarcely  moved  when  a  ball 
from  the  castle  struck  the  very  spot  where  he  had  stood, 
covering  both  of  our  generals  with  dust.  Gen.  Quitman 
said, '  Shields,  you  owe  me  one ;'  and  Gen.  Shields  pleas 
antly  related  the  anecdote  of  Napoleon,  who,  when  a 
young  officer  at  Toulon,  remarked,  when  a  cannon  ball 
covered  the  paper  on  which  he  was  writing  with  dust, 
'  We  shall  need  no  more  sand.' " 

"  When  we  were  under  a  very  heavy  fire  on  the  cause 
way  before  Chapultcpcc,"  says  Corporal  John  Bold,  of 
the  Palmettos,  "  a  volunteer  belonging  to  another  regi 
ment  was  shot  down.  lie  called  for  assistance,  but  no 
one  moved.  Gen.  Quitman,  hearing  his  call,  sternly  cried 
out,  '  Gentlemen,  I  fear  there  are  some  of  you  in  the 
ranks  that  I  can  not  trust.'  I  instantly  stepped  for 
ward  ;  my  comrade,  Anderson,  joined  me.  The  general, 
and  Lieut.  Bell,  of  our  regiment,  took  our  muskets,  and 
we  brought  the  man  in.  'You  deserve  your  muskets, 
gentlemen,'  said  the  general,  shaking  us  by  the  hand. 
4  You  do  your  duty  as  soldiers  and  Christians.' " 


376  LIFE   AND    COKKESPONDENCE    OF 

ENTRANCE    INTO    THE    CITY. 

"After  leaving  a  garrison  at  the  garita  and  at  the 
citadel,"  says  Lieut.  Beauregard,  "  we  marched  toward 
the  main  plaza  of  the  city  with  only  about  three  or  four 
regiments  and  Steptoe's  battery.  We  arrived  and  form 
ed  in  line  of  battle  in  front  of  the  cathedral  as  its  clock 
was  striking  7  A.M.  The  American  flag  was  then  hoist 
ed  on  the  palace  of  the  Montezumas. 

"  The  sight  we  presented  marching  into  that  immense 
city,  being  nearly  all  of  us  covered  with  mud,  and  some 
with  blood,  some  limping,  some  with  arms  in  scarfs, 
and  others  with  heads  in  bandages,  followed  by  two 
endless  lines  of  gaping  leperos  and  rabble,  was  any  thing 
but  glorious  in  appearance.* 

"  The  novelty  of  our  position  had  renewed  my  failing 
energies,  and  Gen.  Quitman,  not  having  one  of  his  per 
sonal  staff  about  him  at  the  time  (as  they  were  trans 
mitting  his  orders  in  every  direction),  requested  me  to 
go  and  inform  the  general-in-chief  of  our  entrance  into 
the  city,  and  of  our  having  taken  possession  of  the  pal 
ace.  I  rode  toward  the  San  Cosme  garita  through  the 
deserted  streets  of  that  large  capital  as  silent  as  the 
tomb — every  house  being  strongly  barricaded — with 
nothing  to  disturb  this  death-like  stillness  but  the  clat 
tering  of  my  horse's  hoofs  on  the  pavements.  I  could 
not  then  help  remembering  the  description  by  Prescott 
of  Cortez's  flight  from  the  city  during  that  celebrated 
'  Noche  Triste,'  about  317  years  before,  by  the  very  road 
I  was  then  traversing." 


•-• 


*  Lieut.  Wilcox  says  that  General  Quitman  had  but  one  shoe  on. 
He  lost  one  the  night  before  in  the  canal. 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  377 


INTERVIEW    WITH    TITE    GENERAL-IN-CHIEF. 

"  At  the  Almeda,  or  public  garden,  I  came  upon  the 
head  of  Worth's  command  stationed  there  at  the  time; 
they  appeared  as  astonished  to  see  me  coming  from  that 
direction  as  I  was  to  find  them  there,  for  I  was  not 
aware  of  their  true  position  until  then.  When  I  told 
them  of  our  having  occupied  the  palace,  they  appeared 
somewhat  surprised  at  our  temerity  and  success.  I  con 
tinued  on,  and  met  General  Scott  and  staff  near  the 
angle  of  the  San  Cosme  and  Chapultepcc  roads ;  it  must 
have  been  about  8J  hours.  He  appeared  delighted  to  see 
me.  When  I  had  communicated  my  message,  his  first 
question  was,  '  Whether  we  had  been  in  any  hurry  to 
forestall  Gen.  Worth  in  the  occupation  of  the  palace?' 
I  told  him  that  we  had  never  been  aware  of  the  position 
of  Gen.  Worth,  and  that  I  had  only  just  ascertained  it. 
Moreover,  that  we  had  never  heard  of  the  surrender  of 
the  city  until  we  had  entered  the  citadel,  where  we  met 
an  English  gentleman  who  had  come  to  give  us  the  in 
formation,  and  to  tell  us  to  be  on  our  guard,  as  it  was  re 
ported  that  as  soon  as  our  troops  would  become  disor 
ganized  by  the  excesses  and  depredations  inherent  to  the 
violent  possession  of  such  a  large  city,  a  rising  of  the 
leperos  would  take  place,  during  which,  Santa  Anna,  who 
had  only  retired  to  the  small  village  of  Guadalupe,  three 
miles  to  the  north  of  Mexico,  would  suddenly  return  and 
attack  us  when  thus  unprepared  to  receive  him,  and  it 
was  hoped  every  one  of  us  would  be  exterminated.  This 
scheme  had  been  arranged,  but  it  was  frustrated  by  our 
doing  the  very  reverse  of  what  they  expected  us  to  do." 

INSURRECTION  OF  THE  LEPEROS. 

"  I  returned  with  the  general-in-chief  and  staff  to  the 
palace,  where  we  arrived  abotit  9  hours,  when  a  salute  was 


378  LIFE    AND    CORKESPOXDEXCE    OF 

fired  by  Steptoe's  battery,  and  all  the  necessary  orders 
given  for  the  proper  occupation  of  the  city,  Gen.  Quitman 
being  appointed  governor ;  but  before  they  could  all  be 
carried  into  execution  the  outbreak  spoken  of  took 
place,  and  by  1 2  hours  had  become  so  intense  that  Santa 
Anna  thought  the  favorable  moment  had  arrived  for 
carrying  his  scheme  into  execution.  Unfortunately  for 
him,  the  head  of  his  column  came  directly  upon  Dun 
can's  battery,  which  opened  upon  it  a  destructive  fire, 
and  drove  it  back  faster  than  it  had  come.  This  revolt 
continued  until  the  next  day  about  noon,  and  at  one  time 
looked  very  unfavorable.  I  again  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  here  the  gallant  Cerro  Gordo  division  (with  which 
I  had  so  often  served,  that  I  almost  considered  myself 
as  belonging  to  it),  led  on  by  its  worthy  general  (Twiggs, 
or  '  Old  Orizaba,'  as  he  was  called),  doing  its  fighting  in 
the  streets,  storming  houses,  etc.,  as  it  did  every  thing 
else, '  sans  peur  et  sans  reproche? 

GEX.  WORTH    AXD   LIEUT.  COL.  DUXCAX. 

In  his  report  of  the  actions  before  the  gates  of  Mex 
ico,  Gen.  Worth  says : 

"  A  portion  of  Garland's  brigade,  which  had  been  pre 
viously  deployed  in  the  field  to  the  left,  now  came  up 
with  and  defeated  the  enemy's  right;  the  enemy's  left 
extending  in  the  direction  of  the  Tacubaya  aqueduct,  on 
which  Quit  man's  division  was  battling  and  advancing. 
Pursuing  the  San  Cosme  road,  we  discovered  an  arched 
passage  through  the  aqueduct,  and  a  cross  route  practi 
cable  for  artillery,  for  a  considerable  distance  over  the 
meadows,  in  the  direction  of  the  battery  and  left  of  the 
enemy's  line,  which  was  galling  and  endeavoring  to 
check  Quitman's  advance.  Lieut.  Col.  Duncan,  with  a 
section  of  his  battery,  covered  by  Lieut.  Col.  Smith's  bat 
talion,  was  turned  oif  upon  this  route,  and,  advancing  to 
within  400  yards  of  the  enemy's  lines  (which  was  as  far 
as  the  nature  of  the  ground  would  permit),  opened  an 


JOHN    A.  QUITMAN.  379 

effective  fire — first  upon  the  battery  and  then  upon  the 
retreating  troops,  great  numbers  of  whom  were  cut  down. 
Having  thus  aided  the  advance  and  cleared  the  front 
(being  favorably  situated)  of  my  gallant  friend  Quitmaii 
as  far  as  it  was  in  my  power,  this  portion  of  my  com 
mand  was  withdrawn." 

Gen.  Quitman,  who  was  ever  ready  to  acknowledge 
the  success  of  others,  thus  refers,  in  his  report,  to  the 
same  incident : 

"  On  our  approach  to  the  garita,  a  body  of  the  enemy, 
Avho  were  seen  on  a  cross  road  threatening  our  left,  were 
dispersed  by  a  brisk  fire  of  artillery  from  the  direction 
of  the  San  Cosme  road.  I  take  pleasure  in  acknowledg 
ing  that  this  seasonable  aid  came  from  Lieut.  Col.  Dun 
can's  battery,  which  had  been  kindly  advanced  from  the 
San  Cosme  road  in  that  direction  by  General  Worth's 
orders." 

Upon  examining  the  matter  critically,  however,  it  does 
not  appear  that  this  diversion  could  have  had  any  mate 
rial  effect.  The  distance,  instead  of  400  yards,  as  stated 
by  Worth,  was  883  yards,  according  to  a  map  of  the  city 
of  Mexico  and  its  defenses,  made  by  Lieut.  Bcaurcgard, 
and  now  in  the  office  of  the  chief  engineer,  Washington 
city.  The  position  was  not  on  the  flank  of  said  battery 
(which  had  its  flank  protected  by  a  parapet  forming  a 
traverse  in  that  direction),  but  on  a  line  forming  nearly 
an  angle  of  30°  with  that  flanking  direction ;  and  there 
were  at  least  two  pieces  in  the  Mexican  battery,  heavier 
than  any  in  Duncan's,  firing  through  embrasures.  Dun 
can,  though  one  of  the  boldest  officers  in  the  service, 
could  get  no  nearer,  owing  to  the  canals  which  intersect 
ed  his  line  of  approach  in  every  direction,  and,  at  that 
long  range,  the  heavier  metal  of  the  enemy  (always  well 
served)  would  have  been  more  likely  to  drive  him  away 
than  he  to  "  clear  Quitman's  front."  The  fact  is,  the  fire 
was  ineffective,  owing  to  the  range  and  the  calibre  of  his 


380  LIFE   AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 


GEN.  PILLOW  S    REPORT. 

In  his  official  report  of  the  storming  of  Chapultepec, 
Gen.  Pillow  (who  personally  saw  but  little  of  it,  having 
been  struck  down  in  the  beginning  of  the  action  by  "  an 
agonizing  wound")  remarks : 

"The  advance  of  Gen.  Quitman's  division,  which  was 
to  have  assaulted  upon  the  left  of  the  position,  having 
fallen  under  the  fire  of  a  battery  on  the  outside  of  the 
outer  wall,  and,  being  unable  to  scale  it  in  consequence 
of  the  want  of  ladders,  were  obliged  to  march  several 
hundred  yards  to  the  south,  and  to  enter  the  very  breach 
through  which  portions  of  my  command  had  passed  at 
the  commencement  of  the  action.  The  consequence  was 
that  command  did  not  get  into  position  in  time  to  ren 
der  me  material  assistance  in  the  assault ;  though,  owing 
to  the  delay  at  the  summit  of  the  hill,  occasioned  by  the 
want  of  ladders,  portions  of  Gen.  Quitman's  command, 
who  passed  through  the  breach  in  the  outer  wall  under 
my  own  observation,  had  time  to  come  up  and  enter  the 
inner  works  about  the  same  time  with  parts  of  my  own 
command,  which  had  for  some  time  previous  completely 
enveloped  the  work  and  called  out  for  the  ladders." 

There  was  no  necessity  for  this  passage,  which  has 
been  construed  to  the  disparagement  of  Quitman  and  his 
column.  Nor  is  it  accurate.  Gen.  Pillow's  arrange 
ments  for  the  attack  on  Chapultepec  have  been  severely 
criticised.  His  original  plan  of  attack  is  said  to  have 
been  wholly  unmilitary,  but,  of  course,  was  superseded 
by  the  instructions  of  the  general-in-chief,  who,  early  on 
the  evening  of  the  12th,  in  consultation  with  Capt.Lee 
and  Lieuts.  Tower  and  Beauregard,  of  the  engineers,  had 
arranged  his  plans,  which  shortly  afterward  were  com 
municated  to  Gens.  Quitman  and  Pillow. 

Gen.  Pillow's  call  on  Worth  for  re-enforcements,  so 
much  in  the  spirit  of  "Come,  help  me,  Cassius,  or  I  sink," 
was  unnecessary,  for  he  already  had  a  superabundance 


JOHN    A.  QUITJ1AX.  381 

of  troops  swarming  up  and  around  the  hill,  and  the  call 
for  more  only  multiplied  the  casualties. 

And,  in  the  opinion  of  military  men,  he  committed  a 
material  error  in  assigning  his  ladders  to  new  levies,  who 
were  thrown  into  disorder,  and  the  ladders  were  not 
forthcoming  when  needed,  thus  delaying  the  final  assault, 
and  exposing  his  men  to  a  prolonged  and  destructive  fire. 

Let  us  now  examine  the  passage  from  his  report. 

1 .  From  what  he  says,  it  would  be  inferred  that  Quit- 
man  had  erred  more  egregiously  than  himself  about  the 
"  ladders."     The  inference  is  that  Quitman,  though  or 
dered  expressly  to  storm  certain  batteries,  had  ignorant- 
ly  or  culpably  neglected  to  provide  the  indispensable  lad 
ders.     The  fact  is,  they  had  been  carefully  provided  and 
intrusted  to  Capt.  Reynolds,  who  says,  "  We  were  pro 
vided  with  muskets,  ladders,  pickaxes,  and  crowbars." 
Maj.  Casey,  in  his  report,  refers  to  his  ladders  and  other 
storming  apparatus.     There  was  no  delay,  therefore,  on 
that  account — no  change  of  operations  for  the  want  of 
"  ladders,"  as  Pillow  intimates.    See  also  Major  Casey's 
report. 

2.  From  the  language  of  General  Pillow,  it  may  be 
inferred  that  the  regiments  led  by  Shields  and  Geary, 
when  making  the  oblique  movement  Quitman  deemed  it 
expedient  to  order,  were  wandering,  confusedly,  over  an 
unknown  track ;  and  he  states  positively  that  "  they  en 
tered  the  walls  of  the  fortress  through  a  breach  made 
by  his  troops,  and  did  not  get  into  position  in  time  to 
render  him  material  assistance  in  the  assault." 

In  answer  to  this  sweeping  statement,  it  may  be  ob 
served  that  General  Quitman,  by  an  elaborate  reconnois- 
sance,  had  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  ground.  He 
knew  the  difficulties  to  be  overcome.  There  was  no  de 
lay  whatever  in  the  execution  of  his  work.  The  oblique 
movement  to  the  left  was  the  result  of  the  unexpected 


382  LIFE    AND    COKKESPONDENCE    OF 

concentration  of  the  enemy  in  a  new  position.  It  was 
a  masterly  conception  of  Quitman,  and  was  gallantly  ex 
ecuted  by  Shields  an(J  his  volunteers.  They  waded 
through  the  morass  in  the  face  of  a  terrific  fire,  and 
calmly  preserved  their  own  until  they  had  penetrated 
the  walls.  "The  Palmetto  regiment,"  says  General 
Shields,  "  being  in  advance,  gained  the  wall  without  fir 
ing  a  shot,  broke  through  it,  and  ascended  the  hill  in  a 
body."  When  ordered  by  Lieutenant  Colonel  Johnson, 
of  the  Yoltigeurs  (who  had  just  stormed  the  castle,  and 
was  senior  officer  at  the  moment),  to  form  his  regiment, 
Major  Gladden,  of  the  Palmettos,  replied  that  "it  was 
already  formed."  It  had  never  broken  its  ranks — an  in 
stance  of  discipline  and  steadiness  under  fire  and  in  the 
assault  that  no  veteran  regiment  in  any  service  ever  sur 
passed. 

Major  Gladden,  who  led  the  Palmettos,  says,  "Upon 
arriving  at  the  wall,  I  set  to  icork^  and,  after  considerable 
difficulty,  succeeded  in  making  a  breach  in  it." 

3.  According  to  General  Pillow,  they  rendered  him 
no  material  assistance  in  the  assault.  What  says  Gen 
eral  Quitman  ? 

"  Simultaneously  with  these  movements  on  our  right, 
the  volunteer  regiments,  with  equal  alacrity  and  intre 
pidity,  animated  by  a  generous  emulation,  commenced 
the  ascent  of  the  hill  on  the  south  side ;  surmounting  ev 
ery  obstacle,  and  fighting  their  way,  they  fell  in  and 
mingled  with  their  brave  brethren  in  arms  who  formed 
the  advance  of  Major  General  Pillow's  column.  Side  by 
side,  amid  the  storm  of  battle,  the  rival  colors  of  the  tivo 
commands  struggled  up  the  steep  ascent,  entered  the 
fortress,  and  reached  the  buildings  used  as  a  military 
college  which  crowned  its  summit.  Here  was  a  short 
pause ;  but  soon  the  flag  of  Mexico  was  lowered,  and 
the  stars  and  stripes  of  our  country  floated  from  the 


JOHN  A.  QumiAX.  383 

heights  of  Chapultepeo  high  above  the  heads  of  the 
brave  men  who  had  planted  them  there.  The  gallant 
jSTew  York  regiment  claims  for  their  standard  the  hon 
or  of  being  first  waved  from  the  battlements  of  Chapul- 
tcpec.  The  veteran  Mexican  general,  Bravo,  with  a  num 
ber  of  officers  and  men,  were  taken  prisoners  in  the  cas 
tle.  They  fell  into  the  hands  of  Lieutenant  Charles 
Brower,  of  the  New  York  regiment,  who  reported  them 
to  me." 

General  Scott,  in  his  report,  expressly  recognizes  the 
services  of  Quitman's  command  in  "  the  final  assault, 
after  having  gallantly  carried  the  works  at  its  south 
eastern  base." 

General  Shields  says,  "The  Palmettos  ascended  the 
hill  in  a  body  to  the  support  of  the  storming  parties  from 
the  other  division.  The  New  York  regiment  united 
with  the  storming  parties  of  the  other  division." 

Major  Burnham,  who  led  the  New  York  regiment 
(its  colonel,  Burnett,  having  been  wounded,  and  its  lieu 
tenant  colonel,  Baxter,  killed),  says,  emphatically,  "It 
was  the  first  at  the  ditch,  first  in  the  enemy's  works,  and 
first  to  place  the  national  flag  on  the  conquered  castle." 

Major  Brindle,  who  took  command  of  the  2d  Pennsyl 
vania  regiment,  Colonel  Geary  having  been  wounded, 
says,  "  In  ascending  the  hill,  moving  by  the  right  of  com 
panies,  the  regiment  gallantly  charged  the  works  on  the 
summit.  The  ascent  was  made  under  a  brisk  fire  of 
small-arms  by  the  enemy,  which  was  returned  by  our  ad 
vancing  columns  with  such  effect  as  to  cause  their  imme- 

O 

diate  retreat.  It  is  due  to  the  regiment  to  state  that,  al 
though  others  entered  simultaneously  with  them,  they 
were  among  the  first  inside." 

Captain  D.  D.  Baker,  of  the  marines,  says,  "  Quitman 
brushed  away  the  strong  defenses  at  the  base  of  Chapul- 
tepec,  and  carried  the  castle  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet." 


384  LIFE   AXD    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

Pillow's  report  of  the  action  bears  date  September 
18th,  1847  ;  Quitman's,  September  29th,  1847.  The  pre 
sumption  is  that  Quitman  had  seen  or  been  informed  of 
this  passage  in  Pillow's  report  when  he  drew  up  his  own, 
and  claimed  for  his  command  an  equal  share  of  the  hon 
or  of  the  final  assault,  after  having  first  accomplished  a 
more  exposed  and  more  difficult  enterprise.  He  accom 
plished  what  from  the  first  he  designed  to  do.  In  his 
report  he  alludes  to  his  contemplated  assault  upon  the 
castle,  as  distinct  from  the  batteries  at  its  foot. 

General  Pillow's  command  performed  the  part  assign 
ed  it — a  perilous  and  difficult  part — most  brilliantly,  and 
this  defense  of  their  brothers  in  arms  is  not  intended 
to  rob  them  of  the  laurels  they  so  nobly  won. 

THE   QUESTION   OF   PRIORITY. 

It  has  been  a  matter  of  controversy  which  was  first 
carried,  the  castle,  or  the  works  at  its  base,  and  how  far 
Pillow's  attack  assisted  Quitman,  and  vice  versa.  The 
question  is  of  little  value,  but  it  can  not  be  doubted  that 
Quitman's  command  stormed  the  batteries,  and  was  in 
the  fortress  on  the  hill  in  time  to  take  part  in  the  fight. 
The  simultaneous  advance  made  by  the  two  divisions 
undoubtedly  operated  in  favor  of  both  in  its  effect  on 
the  enemy.  In  a  strategic  point  of  view,  it  must,  of 
course,  be  conceded  that  the  fall  of  the  castle  would 
bring  with  it  the  evacuation  of  the  lower  batteries,  which 
were  commanded  by  the  former.  But  the  fact  is  that 
these  batteries  were  stormed  before  the  fortress  surren 
dered.  The  proof  is  conclusive.  The  Mexicans  at  the 
leading  battery,  directly  on  the  line  of  advance  of  Quit 
man's  storming  party,  stood  obstinately  to  their  guns 
until  they  were  overpowered  by  the  bayonet  and  clubbed 
rifle.  A  portion  of  those  that  retreated  fled  along  the 
causeway  toward  the  Belen ;  another  portion,  and  a  por- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  385 

tion  of  those  that  had  been  formed  in  line  of  battle  along 
the  aqueduct,  sought  safety  inside  of  the  wall  at  the 
base  of  the  hill,  whence  they  were  subsequently  driven 
by  the  guns  of  the  castle  after  it  had  surrendered  to 
Quitmaii  and  Pillow.  This  one  fact  is  conclusive  as  to 
the  question  of  precedence,  independent  of  the  positive 
testimony  already  quoted. 

QUITMAX'S   ADVANCE    OX   THE   EELEX. 

The  gencral-in-chief,  in  his  report,  says  he  only  intend 
ed  that  Quitmaii  should  manoeuvre  and  threaten  the  Be- 
len  gate  while  the  main  attack  should  be  made  by 
Worth  on  the  western  or  San  Cosmo  route,  and  that, 
during  the  day,  he  repeatedly  communicated  these  views 
to  General  Quitmaii. 

There  is  no  evidence  in  the  papers  of  General  Quit 
maii  to  show  that  he  ever  received  such  instructions. 
lie  marched  from  Chapultepec,  in  broad  daylight,  on  an 
elevated  causeway,  in  full  view  of  the  whole  army, 
storming  battery  after  battery,  and  finally  carried  the 
garita  by  assault  at  20  minutes  past  1  P.M.  "  During 
all  this  time,"  says  Lieutenant  Beauregard,  "  I  was  near 
him,  in  constant  communication  with  him,  conversing 
freely  as  to  what  he  proposed  to  do,  and  he  never  hint 
ed  having  received  such  instructions."  If  he  had  re 
ceived  them  even  after  the  storming  of  the  garita,  is  it 
probable  that  he  would  have  kept  a  large  portion  of  his 
exhausted  command,  who  had  been  two  days  under  fire, 
employed  in  constructing  batteries  to  attack  the  citadel 
next  morning  ?  It  is  a  violent  presumption  to  suppose 
that  Quitman,  under  any  circumstances,  would  have  dis 
obeyed  the  orders  of  the  general-in-chief.  He  under 
stood  the  value  of  subordination,  and,  a  thorough  stick 
ler  for  his  own  rights,  he  never  disputed  the  rights  of 
others. 

\^  /•    T  T  I  '* 

01..  x. — I't 


386  LIFE    AND    CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

Capt.  Baker,  of  the  marines,  says,  "  About  dark,  after 
the  fall  of  the  garita,  while  I  was  taking  a  cup  of  coffee 
with  Gen.  Quitman,  Lieut.  Hardcastle  brought  congratu 
lations  from.  Gen.  Scott,  and  desired  him  to  withdraw  for 
the  night  from  his  exposed  position.  The  answer  was, 
'  I  will  not  retire  without  a  peremptory  order.'  Lieut. 
II.  then  inquired  of  the  general  what  he  wanted  for  the 
night  ?  He  replied,  'Intrenching  tools  and  ammunition.' 
When  the  lieutenant  rode  away  Gen.  Quitman  rose  and 
said,  'Baker,  the  capital  is  mine ;  my  brave  fellows  have 
conquered  it,  and,  by  G — d,  they  shall  have  it !'  Next 
morning  he  took  possession  of  it." 

Lieut.  Wilcox,  one  of  his  aids,  says,  "As  he  was  going 
up  to  the  castle,  after  we  had  stormed  the  batteries,  he 
left  orders  with  me  (and,  I  presume,  the  other  members 
of  his  staff)  to  have  the  troops  ready  for  an  advance  upon 
the  city.  This  was  the  first  word  I  had  heard  on  the 
subject.  I  remember  having  seen  several  officers  from 
Gen.  Scott  while  we  were  advancing  along  the  aqueduct, 
but  whether  they  gave  orders  to  Gen.  Quitman  I  can  not 
say;  he  communicated  none  to  me.  The  orders  given 
to  him  were,  as  a  matter  of  course,  almost  invariably 
made  known  to  his  staff.  I  remember  having  a  brief  in 
terview  with  Maj.  Kirby,  one  of  the  officers  referred  to. 
He  said  nothing  of  orders  from  Gen.  Scott." 

Gen.  Quitman  was  sensitive  in  regard  to  the  matters 
here  referred  to,  and  propounded  a  series  of  interrogato 
ries  to  Capt.  Danby,  of  Arkansas,  one  of  his  aids,  distin 
guished  for  his  gallantry,  activity,  and  intelligence.  His 
testimony  covers  the  whole  controversy,  and  settles  ev 
ery  doubtful  point. 

<TXittlc  Hock,  Arkansas,  July  21st,  1852. 
"  GEN.  J.  A.  QUITMAN  :  DEAR  SIR, — I  have  examined 
your  interrogatories,  propounded  with  the  view  of  elicit 
ing  such  facts  in  the  history  of  the  storming  of  the  fort- 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  387 

ress  of  Chapultepec  and  the  gate  of  Belcn  as  might  be 
in  my  possession  and  transpired  under  my  observation, 
and  will,  with  pleasure,  respond  to  all  of  your  interrog 
atories  as  briefly  as  I  can  with  justice  to  all  parties  con 
cerned. 

"  I  have  to  say,  in  reply  to  interrogatory 
"  1st.  '  When  and  at  what  time  were  you  received  on 
my  staff?' 

"  I  was  introduced  to  you  in  a  restaurant  in  Tacubaya, 
where  you  had  called  to  get  your  breakfast,  about  eight 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  12th  of  September,  1847. 
You  had  just  arrived,  if  I  mistake  not,  from  Capt.  Drum's 
battery,  which  was  then  firing  on  the  fortress  of  Chapul 
tepec  from  the  road  leading  from  Tacubaya  to  the  city. 
Immediately  on  making  your  acquaintance  I  offered  my 
services  as  a  volunteer,  and  on  your  staff,  was  accepted, 
and  proceeded  with  you  to  Capt.  Drum's  battery.  I  did 
no  service  of  importance  on  the  12th. 

"  2d.  '  What  verbal  orders  did  you  receive  from  me 
on  the  13th  before  you  were  wounded,  and  the  particu 
lar  place  and  point  of  time  when  you  received  each  ?' 

"  The  first  order  I  executed  for  you  on  the  13th  of  Sep 
tember  was  to  direct  Capt.  Hunt,  with  a  section  of  Dun 
can's  battery,  to  move  up.  He  was  between  Drum's 
battery  and  Tacubaya.  He  moved  up  as  directed,  and 
received  orders  from  you  at  Capt.  Drum's  battery.  The 
second  order  was  a  similar  one,  a  very  few  minutes  after, 
to  Major  Twiggs  to  move  up  with  his  storming  party. 
He  also  advanced  and  received  orders  from  you  at  Drum's 
battery.  The  third  order  was  not  long  after  this,  when 
you  directed  me  to  go  across  the  meadow  between  where 
we  were  (Drum's  battery)  and  Chapultepec  to  gather  up 
all  the  stragglers,  close  up  the  column,  and  direct  the  vol 
unteers  to  advance  on  the  fortress  of  Chapultepec  and 
carry  it  by  storm.  The  fourth  order  was  when  we  both 
had  ascended  the  hill  at  Chapultepec,  you  directed  me  to 
go  down  the  causeway  leading  from  Chapultepec  to  the 
city  of  Mexico,  and  ascertain  and  report  to  you  the  move 
ments  of  a  body  of  Mexican  troops,  who  appeared  to  have 
marched  out  from,  and  were  ascertained  to  be  retreating 
again  toward  the  city,  after  the  fall  of  Chapultepec.  The 
fifth  order  was  received  from  you  immediately  on  my 


388  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

return  and  report  to  you  of  the  execution  of  the  fourth 
order;  it  was  received  on  the  causeway  leading  from 
Tacubaya  and  Chapultepec  to  the  gate  of  Belen  and  the 
city,  not  far  from  where  the  Tacubaya  road  crosses  the 
aqueduct,  and  between  the  crossing  and  the  city.  On 
my  return  from  executing  jour  fourth  order  I  heard  the 
cry  of '•Gen.  Quitnian's  division,  to  the  city  !  Gen.  Quit- 
man's  division,  to  the  cityT  Immediately  on  my  report 
ing  to  you,  I  was  directed  by  you  to  proceed  again  to 
the  then  surrendered  fortress  of  Chapultepec,  and  repeat 
to  all  of  your  command  whom  I  might  see  the  order  of 
4  Gen.  Quitmarts  division  to  the  city.''  The  sixth  order 
I  executed  was  on  the  Belen  causeway,  near  the  Casa 
Colorada  (Red  House).  This  was  to  direct  Maj.  Bonne- 
yille  to  take  possession  of  the  Casa  Colorada,  and  there 
gather  and  take  command  of  all  stragglers.  The  seventh 
order  was  after  we  had  advanced  from  the  Casa  Colo 
rada  toward  the  city,  when  you  directed  me  to  ride  back 
to  the  head  of  the  causeway  near  Chapultepec  and  direct 
all  stragglers  to  move  up  on  the  right  or  south  side  of 
the  aqueduct;  and  also  to  direct  Gen.  Smith  to  move 
up  and  join  you  with  your  reserve,  which  was  command 
ed  by  him.  Just  before  I  reported  the  execution  of  this 
order  to  you,  and  immediately  outside  of  a  work  thrown 
up  by  the  Mexicans  between  the  Casa  Colorada  and 
the  city,  I  received  a  wound  which  disabled  me  and  pre 
vented  my  reporting  to  you.  I  may  have  received  other 
orders  from  you  on  the  13th  of  September,  but  these  are 
all  which  I  can  now  recall  to  my  memory.  It  would  be 
impossible  for  me,  after  this  lapse  of  time,  to  give  the 
precise  time  of  receiving  any  of  the  orders  enumerated 
above;  indeed  it  would  have  been  difficult  for  me  to 
have  done  so  the  next  day,  as  I  took  no  particular  note 
of  time,  having  lost  my  watch  when  I  was  taken  prison 
er.  I  would  give  it  as  my  opinion,  however,  that  the 
first  order  (to  Capt.  Hunt)  was  received  about  8  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  the  last  order  (to  Gen.  Smith)  was 
soon  after  11  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  of  the  13th  of  Sep 
tember. 

"  3d.  'At  the  time  the  volunteer  regiment  passed  over 
or  through  the  wall,  could  you  see  any  of  Gen.  Pillow's 
division  ascending  the  hill?  Was  not  the  battery  in 


JOHN  A.  QUITMAN.  389 

front  of  my  column  carried  before  the  Mexican  flag  was 
lowered  on  the  castle?' 

"I  did  not  see  any  of  Gen. Pillow's  division  ascend 
ing  the  hill  at  the  time  our  volunteers  passed  the  wall, 
though  I  presume  they  ascended  the  hill  about  the  same 
time  with  our  volunteers.  The  battery  in  front  of  your 
column  was  carried  before  the  Mexican  flag  was  lowered 
on  the  castle. 

"  4th.  '  What  flag  was  first  on  the  walls  of  the  castle  ?' 

"  I  can  not  say  which  of  the  different  flags  was  first 
on  the  walls  of  the  castle,  though  the  first  flag  I  saw 
there  was  that  of  the  New  York  regiment.  It  is  just, 
however,  that  I  should  say  that,  immediately  after  seeing 
the  flag  of  the  New  York  regiment,  I  saw  several  other 
flags  on  the  castle.  The  first  thing  which  attracted  my 
attention  to  the  other  flags  was  an  apparent  scramble  as 
to  which  flag  should  be  run  up  on  the  fortress  after  the 
hauling  down  of  the  Mexican  flag.  The  Mexican  flag 
was  hauled  down  some  time,  in  my  opinion,  at  least  five 
or  ten  minutes,  before  the  firing  ceased  and  the  Mexicans 
were  subdued. 

"  5  th.  'Which  way  did  the  body  of  the  Mexican  troops 
retreat  ?' 

"  I  was  not  in  a  position  to  see,  and,  consequently,  do 
not  know  which  way  the  body  of  the  Mexican  troops 
who  escaped  from  Chapultepec  did  retreat ;  but  it  must 
have  been  north  of  the  Belcn  road,  and  on  the  other  side 
from  where  we  were.  It  is  impossible  that  they  could 
have  escaped  down  the  Belcn  road,  because  our  storm 
ing  party,  aided  by  General  Smith's  command,  carried 
the  works  just  at  the  end  of,  and  which  commanded  the 
entrance  into  that  road,  and  took  a  large  body  of  prison 
ers  (amounting  to  some  hundreds)  between  those  works 
and  Chapultepec  on  the  hill.  * 

"  Cth.  'Did  the  firing  continue  until  I  had  entered  the 
works  and  ascended  the  hill,  or  while  ascending  the  hill  ?' 

"  A  scattering  fire  did  continue  until  after  you  had 
entered  the  works,  and  had  ascended,  or  was  ascending 
the  hill.  Tliis  fire  was  from  the  timber  (or  woods)  on 
the  hill-side  on  our  left  as  we  ascended  the  hill. 

"  7th.  '  At  what  point  were  you  wounded  ?' 

"I  was  wounded  at  a  point  just  before  we  reached  a 


390  LIFE   AND   CORKESPONDENCE    OF 

breast-work  outside  of  the  gate  of  Belen,  and  the  only 
one,  I  believe,  between  the  Casa  Colorado,  and  the  Be 
len  gate. 

"  8th.  '  At  what  point  did  yon  first  hear  the  orders 
given  by  me  to  advance  toward  the  city  ?  Or  when 
and  where  did  you  first  learn  my  intention  to  attack  the 
city  ?  On  your  advance  up  the  hill  did  I  direct  you  to 
inform  my  command  that  they  should  form  on  the  cause 
way  to  march  on  the  city?  "When  you  ascended  the 
hill  what  was  going  on  in  our  division?  Where  then 
was  I  ?  and  where  Avas  I,  and  what  doing,  when  you  last 
saw  me  ?' 

"  I  first  heard  your  orders  to  advance  on  the  city  on 
the  causeway  leading  from  Chapultepec  to  the  city,  not 
far  from  where  the  Tacubaya  and  Belen  road  crosses  the 
aqueduct ;  for  an  account  of  the  orders  then  received,  see 
my  answer  to  your  second  interrogatory.  It  is  given  in 
my  account  of  the  fifth  order,  and  therein  referred  to 
and  explained.  When  I  ascended  the  hill  to  execute 
your  fifth  order  you  were  at  the  head  of  as  much  of 
your  column  as  you  had  collected,  and  had  commenced 
your  advance  on  the  city  by  the  Belen  causeway.  When 
I  last  saw  you  on  that  day  you  were  in  advance  of  where 
I  received  my  wound.  I  had,  as  I  have  before  stated, 
been  back  to  the  rear,  and  ordered  up  Gen.  Smith  with 
your  reserve,  and  was,  when  I  received  my  wound,  com 
ing  up  to  report  to  you  that  I  had  executed  that  order. 
At  this  time  you  were  advancing  toward  the  city;  I 
think  about  where  Drum's  battery  was  at  that  time. 

"9th.  'Were  was  General  Shields  then,  and  General 
Smith  ?' 

"  The  last  I  saw  of  Gen.  Smith  on  that  day  was  a  few 
minutes  after  I  last  saw  you.  He  was  advancing  at  the 
head  of  his  column  to  join  you,  as  he  had  been  ordered 
by  you  through  me.  This  was  a  short  time  after  I  had 
received  my  wound.  Gen.  Shields  passed  where  I  lay  a 
few  minutes  after  Gen.  Smith.  He  had  his  arm  in  a  sling 
from  a  wound  he  had  received  that  morning.  He  stop 
ped  and  conversed  with  me  some  minutes.  I  desired 
him  to  report  to  you  that  I  had  been  disabled,  so  as  to 
prevent  my  joining  your  staff  again,  which  he  politely 
promised  to  do,  and,  smiling,  bid  me  '  Good-morning.'' 


JOHN"   A.  QUmiAX.  391 

"10th.  'Were  you  not  much  about  my  person  until 
you  were  carried  from  the  field?  and  did  you,  at  any 
time,  hear  of  my  receiving  any  communications  from  the 
general-in-chief,  or  any  other  source,  in  relation  to  his  in 
tention  to  make  the  principal  attack  by  the  San  Cosme 
causeway  ?' 

"  I  was  much  about  your  person — indeed  all  the  time 
I  was  not  absent  carrying  orders  for  you  to  your  different 
commands.  During  the  whole  day,  until  I  was  carried 
from  the  field,  I  heard  nothing  of  your  receiving  any  or 
ders,  or  communications  of  any  kind,  from  the  general- 
in-chief  or  from  any  other  source.  I  did  not  hear  it  in 
timated  in  any  quarter  that  the  principal  attack  was  to 
be  made  on  the  gate  of  San  Cosrne.  My  impression  was, 
at  that  time,  and  still  is,  that  a  joint  attack  wras  contem 
plated,  as  it  certainly  was  carried  out,  on  both  the  gates 
of  Belen  and  San  Cosme.  But  whether  that  wTas  the  con 
templated  plan  or  not,  I  am  certain  that  you  received  no 
orders  or  communications  from  the  general-in-chief  on 
that  day  until  you  had  taken  the  gate  of  Belen.  What 
orders  you  might  have  received  after  that  I  can  not  be 
cognizant  of;  for  shortly  before  the  gate  was  carried  I 
wTas  wounded,  and  shortly  after  it  wras  carried  I  was 
taken  from  the  field." 

The  general-in-chief,  with  a  brilliant  suite,  escorted  by 
the  cavalry,  entered  the  city  at  8  o'clock,  the  band  of  the 
2d  dragoons  playing  "  Hail  Columbia."  As  the  cortege 
appeared  on  the  Grand  Plaza  the  general  was  received 
with  acclamations,  and  "  Yankee  Doodle"  from  the  dif 
ferent  bands  raised  the  national  feeling  to  the  highest 
pitch.  Without  dismounting  from  his  charger — like  it 
conqueror  acknowledging  the  valor  of  his  generals  on 
the  field  of  battle — Gen.  Scott  proclaimed  Gen.  Quitman 
governor  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  with  high  civil  and  mili 
tary  powers.  His  staff  consisted  of  Capt.  F.  N".  Page, 
assist,  adjutant  general ;  Lieuts.  M.  Lovell,  C.  M.  Wil- 
cox,  and  R.  P.  Hammond,  aids ;  Capt.  Charles  Naylor, 
superintendent  of  the  palace,  Capt.  G.  T.  M.  Davis,  sec 
retary  ;  Mr.  Levi,  interpreter. 


392  LIFE   AND   COKBESPONDENCE   OF 

A  formidable  insurrection  had  been  organized,  to  be 
initiated  by  the  leperos,  or  rabble,  of  the  city,  and  sec 
onded  by  Santa  Anna,  if  circumstances  were  favorable. 
There  were  several  hours  of  bloodshed  and  confusion, 
but  the  prompt  and  decisive  measures  adopted  soon  re 
stored  order.  Gen.  Scott  and  Gov.  Quitman  both  com 
manded  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  better  class 
of  Mexicans.  The  municipal  authorities  co-operated  in 
every  measure  for  the  preservation  of  tranquillity.  The 
American  Star,  published  in  the  city  of  Mexico,  of  the 
20th  of  September,  says : 

"  In  our  opinion,  confidence  is  now  perfectly  restored ; 
there  is  scarce  a  place  of  business  that  is  not  open ;  and 
what  more  clearly  than  any  thing  else  demonstrates  the 
fact  that  contentment  reigns  in  a  great  measure  over  the 
scores  and  scores  of  families  that  begin  to  promenade  the 
streets.  Whenever  you  see  the  softer  sex  walking  the 
streets  in  confidence,  you  may  set  it  down  at  once  that 
things  are  as  they  should  be. 

"  The  shops  are  again  opened,  and  security  and  public 
confidence  are  perfectly  restored.  The  theatre  was  open 
ed  on  Sunday,  the  26th  ult.,  and  the  crowd  was  immense, 
the  building  not  being  capable  of  containing  the  numbers 
who  thronged  the  avenues." 

This  was  the  result  of  the  liberal  but  firm  and  vigilant 
administration  inaugurated  by  the  American  governor. 
In  the  neighboring  city  of  Puebla,  which  had  been  tem 
porarily  evacuated  by  our  troops,  as  though  to  show  the 
contrast  between  American  and  Mexican  rule,  the  great 
est  disorders  prevailed.  A  letter  from  a  responsible 
source,  dated  Puebla,  September  22d,  says  : 

"The  guerrilleros  have  disgraced  the  name  of  man — 
they  are  monsters.  The  letter  says  there  is  scarce  a  for 
eign  family  or  a  foreigner  that  has  not  received  more  or 
less  injury  from  them,  and,  in  many  instances,  of  the  most 
aggravating  nature.  Independent  of  the  outrages  com 
mitted  upon  the  persons  and  property  of  the  Mexican 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  393 

citizens,  they  have  gone  into  the  houses  of  foreigners, 
and  devastation  and  dismay  have  followed  their  every 
step.  They  broke  into  the  store  of  a  German  jeweler 
near  the  Diligencias,  and,  after  robbing  it  of  near  $25,000 
worth  of  property,  put  a  rope  around  his  neck  and  took 
him  to  the  Alameda  for  execution.  They  then  went  into 
the  house  of  an  American  lady  who  has  lived  many  years 
in  Pucbla,  and  whose  husband  is  now  in  Mexico,  and, 
putting  their  swords  and  lances  to  her  breast,  were  about 
to  kill  her,  when  she  delivered  what  money  was  in  her 
hands  and  they  left.  But  wore  we  to  enumerate  all  their 
enormities  we  would  have  place  for  nothing  else.  Suf 
fice  it  to  say,  that  their  actions  are  disgraceful  in  the  ex 
treme,  and  has  put  a  blot  on  the  national  character  that 
will  be  hard  to  wipe  out." 

Among  General  Quitman's  papers  there  are  numerous 
evidences  of  his  popularity  in  Mexico.  There  arc  many 
letters,  written  after  his  return  to  the  United  States  and 
up  to  the  period  of  his  death,  from  very  influential  cit 
izens,  expressing  the  warmest  interest  in  his  fortunes, 
and  a  deep  sense  of  obligation  for  the  moderation,  and 
respect  for  the  national  feelings  and  misfortunes  of  Mex 
ico,  that  had  characterized  his  course  while  exercising 
the  arbitrary  functions  of  his  position.  There  were  over 
tures  made  to  him  to  remain  in  Mexico,  and  as  long  as 
he  lived  strong  hopes  expressed  that  he  would  become 
identified  with  her  destiny.  lie  was  known  to  be  in  fa 
vor  of  an  armed  occupation  of  the  country,  and  his  plan 
was  not  without  powerful  supporters  even  in  Mexico.* 

*  The  following  letter,  from  a  very  observing  man,  will  be  found  in 
teresting.  The  internal  condition  of  Mexico  is  much  the  same  as  it 
was  then,  only  it  has  deteriorated,  and  calls  more  loudly  for  American 
intervention. 

"New  York,  April  29th,  1S57. 

"  General ,  whom  I  saw  much  of  at  the  capital,  has  sailed  for 

Europe.  lie  returns  here  expressly  to  visit  you  incog.  He  is  a  man 
of  fine  talent  and  education.  lie  confirmed,  in  various  conversations 
with  me,  the  general  impression  prevailing  in  Mexico  that  your  divi 
sion  Avon  Chapultepec  and  the  capital.  Most  of  the  Mexican  func 
tionaries  concurred  in  this  opinion.  And  they  all  spoke  of  your  hu 
ll  2 


394  LIFE   AND   COEEESPONDEXCE    OP 

Having  restored  order  to  the  capital,  and  believing 
that  the  war  would  be  prolonged,  Gen.  Quitinan  now  ap- 

manity,  justice,  and  delicacy  while  administering  the  government  of 
the  city  of  Mexico.  General  Scott  has  a  great  reputation  in  that 
country.  You  stand  next  to  him.  I  spent  two  days  at  the  castle  of 
Chapultepec  with  Colonel  Piedras,  estada  mayor  of  General  Comon- 
fort.  He  pointed  out  to  me  the  Mexican  positions  during  the  attack, 
and  said  their  main  dependence  was  on  the  battery  you  carried  by  as 
sault.  He  referred  to  your  reconnoissance  as  'audacious  —  the  most 
audacious  thing  of  the  whole  war.'  The  old  castle  is  now,  as  before, 
a  military  college,  and  we  found  one  of  the  professors  tracing  out 
for  his  cadets  the  marks  of  our  artillery.  Captain  Kodal,  of  tlfe  en 
gineers,  informed  me  that  they  deemed  the  Belcn  impregnable  to  as 
sault.  He  says  the  heavy  metal  at  the  Ciudadella  and  at  the  Park 
was  concentrated  upon  you. 

"My  jaunt  from  Acapulco  to  the  capital  was  very  pleasant.  The 
road,  though  rugged  and  mountainous,  is  exceedingly  picturesque, 
provisions  and  water  abundant.  Acapulco,  in  the  State  of  Guerrero, 
is  the  birthplace  of  General  Alvarez,  president  of  the  republic.  The 
state  or  department  terminates  some  sixteen  miles  south  of  Guerna- 
vaca.  In  his  native  province  Alvarez  is  much  esteemed,  and  has  un 
limited  control.  Outside  of  it  all  classes  regard  him  as  an  Indian, 
and  of  ordinary  intellect.  He  has  a  large  estate.  I  met  his  excel 
lency  in  Ignala,  a  beautiful  little  city  of  8000  inhabitants  between 
Acapulco  and  Mexico.  He  had  some  900  troops,  and  was  expecting 
an  attack  from  the  Pronunciados,  led  by  Colonel  Vicario,  whom  I 
subsequently  fell  in  with  at  the  village  of  Alpuyeca.  This  rencontre 
took  place  twenty-four  hours  later,  and  the  Pronunciados  were  dis 
persed.  Alvarez  is  an  Indian  of  the  Pinto  race,  so  called  from  their 
skins  being  spotted  with  a  species  of  leprosy  peculiar  to  the  depart 
ment  of  Guerrero.  They  make  good  soldiers,  and  are  described  as 
'  muy  valientes.'  General  Comonfort,  President  ad  interim,  resides  in 
your  old  apartments  in  the  palace.  He  often  refers,  in  very  pleasant 
humor,  to  his  honorable  predecessor,  Governor  Quitman !  The  for 
eign  population  of  Mexico  respect  him  much,  though  many  leading 
Mexicans  deny  his  capacity.  His  late  decree,  confiscating  the  lienes 
of  the  c/ero,  has  diminished  his  popularity  and  caused  great  excite 
ment.  This  is  the  prime  source  of  the  pronunciamentas  that  have 
recently  been  made  and  of  the  blood  that  has  flowed.  The  motto  of 
the  Pronunciados  is,  "La  Religion  6  la  J\hierte ;"  their  banner  is  a 
bloody  cross.  After  a  battle  they  usually  disperse  and  become  guerril- 
leros,'and  harass  the  roads,  cutting  off  all  communication  between  the 
capital  and  the  departments.  Intelligent  people  of  all  parties  feel 
that  there  is  only  one  power  that  can  rescue  them  from  the  anarchy 
that  prevails.  The  regular  troops  are  but  half  paid,  and  ill  fed,  and 
poorly  clad,  and  general  discontent  exists.  Whole  regiments  are  often 
in  revolt.  Mexico  was  never  so  happy,  never  so  well  governed,  prop 
erty  was  never  so  secure  as  when  the  American  flag  floated  over  her 
capital.  While  I  was  at  the  capital  there  were  twenty-two  pronuncia 
mentas  in  one  day,  the  20th  of  November.  They  were  put  down,  how- 


JOHN  A.  QumiAN.  395 

plied  to  the  general-in-chief  for  the  command  of  a  full 
division,  in  consonance  with  his  rank  as  major  general — 
a  right  which  it  will  be  recollected  he  had  waived  at 
Puebla  when  the  exigencies  of  the  public  service  were 
imperative.  Gen.  Scott  did  not  consider  himself  able  to 
make  the  arrangement,  and  he  asked  and  obtained  orders 
to  report  in  person  to  the  secretary  of  war  in  Washing 
ton  for  the  purpose  of  being  permanently  assigned  to 
duty.* 

On  the  eve  of  his  departure  from  the  city  the  munic 
ipal  authorities  called  in  a  body  to  manifest  their  respect 
and  good  wishes.  The  officers  of  his  division  assembled 
at  the  palace,  where  he  was  addressed  by  Col.  Burnett, 
of  the  Xew  York  regiment,  as  follows : 

"  GEXEEAL, — Having  learned  that  you  were  relieved 
as  the  commander  of  our  division,  the  officers  have  im 
posed  upon  me  the  pleasant  duty  of  expressing  our  feel 
ings  to  you  as  toward  a  general,  father,  and  friend. 

"  We  have  served  with  you  in  the  most  interesting 
campaign  of  this  long  war  of  victories — a  war  calcu- 

cvcr,  by  the  energy  of  Don  Jose  Vaz,  governor  of  the  district.  Since 
then  all  the  churches  are  guarded  by  troops,  to  prevent  a  general  pil 
lage  by  the  populace.  The  leaders  of  the  opposition  to  Comonfort  and 
Alvarez  arc  Spaniards,  of  whom  there  are  many  all  over  the  republic, 
restless,  intriguing,  and  ambitious  men.  They  pay,  and  often  officer 
the  Pronunciados.  They  monopoli/e  much  of  the  trade  and  wealth 
of  the  country,  and  are  disliked  by  the  people  generally,  whom  they 
regard  with  contempt.  I  do  not  think  the  existing  difficulties  between 
Spain  and  Mexico  will  occasion  war ;  but  should  it  occur,  the  party 
in  power,  doubtless,  would  rejoice  to  see  an  influx  of  Americans.  If 
you  could  visit  Mexico  you  would  be  warmly  received.  Such  a  visit 
Avould  give  you  grand  ideas.  Ten  thousand  men,  such  as  you  led  to 
the  13elen,  would  obey  your  call  and  follow  you  at  a  word.  Half  a 
million  of  Mexicans  would  receive  you  with  open  arms." 

*  u  Head-quarters  of  the  Army,  Mexico,  October  26th,  1S17. 

"Special  Orders,  No.  UG. 

"Major  General  J.  A.  Quitman,  much  distinguished  for  gallant 
and  efficient  services,  will  proceed  to  the  United  States  and  report, 
in  person  or  by  letter,  to  the  Department  of  War. 

"By  command  of  Major  General  Scott, 

"H.  L.SCOTT,  A.  A.  A.  G.'' 


396  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE    OF 

lated  to  produce  results  of  the  last  importance  to  our 
country,  liberty,  and  the  world. 

"  Those  who  at  first  denounced  it  at  home  as  an  im 
moral  and  aggressive  war,  even  these  have  come  and 
united  with  us  by  the  sentiment,  '  Our  country,  always 
right,  but,  right  or  wrong,  our  country.' 

"  The  great  results  that  must  flow  from  this  war,  in 
adding  to  the  area  of  freedom  and  communicating  the 
habits,  customs,  and  laws  of  our  beloved  republic  to  the 
masses  of  Mexico  are  yet  unseen  by  the  world,  but  they 
can  not  remain  long  hidden  in  the  womb  of  time ;  they 
must  soon  develop  themselves,  to  the  delight  of  every 
Christian,  republican,  and  philanthropist. 

"Among  the  most  prominent  you  have  performed 
your  part.  Your  fame  was  known  to  us  before  our  as 
sociation  as  officers,  and  its  lustre  has  brightened  as  the 
sun  from  morn  till  noon.  We  have  seen  you  upon  our 
wearisome  marches,  ever  watchful  for  the  comfort  of  men 
and  officers,  and  anxious  to  produce  harmony,  so  essen 
tial  to  effective  discipline.  We  have  seen  you  at  Cha- 
pultepec,  as  cool  as  now  when  we  meet  you  in  friendship, 
directing  the  storming  of  that  formidable  work,  regard 
less  of  personal  danger,  but  looking  to  the  safety  of  your 
soldiers.  Not  a  muscle  moved  in  that  stern  and  manly 
face  but  to  smile  when  the  colors  of  your  division  and 
our  beloved  country  were  thrown  to  the  free  winds 
above  the  conquered  castle ;  we  have  seen  you  at  the 
Garita  de  Belen  as  the  hero  of  that  long  and  sanguinary 
engagement ;  we  have  witnessed  your  acts  as  the  first 
Anglo-Saxon  governor  of  the  city  of  the  Montezumas — 
every  where  inspiring  that  confidence  in  your  soldiers 
which  produced  such  brilliant  results,  and  receiving  from 
the  whole  army  their  approbation  of  your  able  and  con 
sistent  course  as  the  governor  and  the  civilian. 

"  We  will  not  confine  ourselves  to  our  own  sentiments. 
The  enthusiasm  so  frequently  manifested  by  the  rank 
and  file  of  your  division — those  whose  strong  arms  and 
stout  hearts  have  obeyed  your  orders  through  us — in 
dorse  our  sentiments  in  perfect  unanimity  with  their 
approbation. 

"The  soldiers  of  this  successful  war  will  receive,  as  they 
deserve,  the  grateful  acknowledgments  of  their  country. 


JOHN   A.  QUmiAN.  397 

A  gallant  soldier  should  ever  be  the  pride  of  his  country, 
and  particularly  the  citizen  soldier.  Besides  leaving  the 
comforts  and  luxuries  of  home,  the  delights  of  the  family 
hearth,  he  sacrifices  his  interests  in  the  prosecution  of 
his  business  or  trade  ;  and  eminently  so  have  you  sacri 
ficed  your  every  interest  at  home  to  serve  your  country. 
"We,  as  officers  of  your  division,  can  only  repay  you 
upon  your  sudden  departure  with  an  expression  of  our 
feelings.  We  shall  meet  you  again  after  the  Avar  as  fel 
low-citizens,  and  our  present  sentiments,  written  upon  our 
hearts  as  upon  adamant,  will  lose  nothing  by  the  hand  of 
time  ;  uniting  then  with  a  gratified  people,  your  present 
sacrifices  may  be  somcAvhat  compensated  by  the  only 
boon  of  the  patriot — the  grateful  acknowledgments  of 
your  country.  We  shall  then  have  deposited  our  stand 
ards  with  the  authorities  of  our  respective  states,  but 
ever  ready  to  rally  under  our  victorious  banners  as  the 
prestige  of  success,  and  ever  ready  to  be  directed  by  our 
gallant  general,  whom  we  now  part  with  as  a  father  and 
a  friend." 

This  speech  was  frequently  interrupted  by  the  com 
pany  present,  who  expressed  their  approbation  of  the 
sentiments  by  warm  applause.  When  this  had  subsided 
Gen.  Quitman  replied  in  substance  as  follows  : 

He  said  that  when  he  looked  around  him  and  found 
himself  in  the  presence  of  the  gallant  officers  who  had 
participated  so  largely  in  the  recent  brilliant  events  bo- 
fore  the  city,  and  heard  himself  addressed  by  the  senior 
officer  of  the  division,  yet  leaning  upon  his  honorable 
crutch,  in  remarks  so  full  of  the  elegant  feeling  of  the 
heart,  he  was  overwhelmed  with  emotion,  and  felt  him 
self  wholly  unable  to  do  justice  to  the  occasion.  Cir 
cumstances  had  rendered  it  necessary,  as  a  matter  of  high 
duty,  that  he  should  apply  to  the  proper  authority  for 
some  permanent  assignment  to  duty,  where  he  might  be 
best  enabled  to  serve  his  country.  Had  he  consulted 
personal  feeling  merely,  he  would  have  been  gratified  to 
remain  with  the  brave  associates  of  his  cares,  his  perils 
and  fortunes  in  wrar,  but  he  regarded  it  the  soldier's 
part  to  seek  the  path  were  duty  called  him.  That  path 


398  LIFE   AND   CORRESPONDENCE   OF 

now  separated  him  from  the  gallant  officers  and  men  to 
whose  good  conduct  and  services  he  took  this  occasion 
to  say  he  felt  himself  wholly  indebted  for  whatever  repu 
tation  or  honor  he  might  have  acquired  in  this  campaign. 
It  was  theirs,  not  his.  They  were  entitled  to  his  regard, 
his  esteem,  and  his  friendship.  He  would  bear  these 
feelings  with  him  wherever  his  lot  should  be  cast. 

In  conclusion,  he  expressed  his  heartfelt  regret  at  his 
separation  from  them,  and  hoped  that  they  would  receive 
for  themselves,  and  bear  to  the  gallant  rank  and  file  un 
der  their  commands,  his  friendly  farewell." 

Gen.  Quit-man,  Gen.  Shields,  and  many  other  distin 
guished  officers,  most  of  them  suffering  from  wounds, 
arrived  in  New  Orleans,  in  the  Steamship  Alabama,  on 
the  morning  of  the  24th  of  November.  National  salutes 
were  fired  in  their  honor  from  the  Place  d'Armes  and 
Lafayette  Square.*  At  night  they  visited  the  American 
Theatre,  and  were  received  with  acclamations.  The  Pic 
ayune  of  the  25th  said: 

"  A  generous  enthusiasm  was  aroused  among  our  cit 
izens  yesterday,  of  all  classes,  by  the  presence  of  the  dis 
tinguished  officers  who  had  just  returned  from  Mexico. 
In  truth,  from  the  moment  of  the  arrival  of  the  Alabama 
the  night  previous,  an  excitement  was  awakened  which  has 
yet  known  no  abatement.  The  stirring  narratives  of  the 
great  deeds  of  Churubusco  and  of  Chapultepec  reached 
us  almost  contemporaneously  with  the  personal  represent 
atives  of  those  glories.  The  public  mind  was  attuned  to 
sympathy  by  the  glowing  relations  of  Gen.  Scott,  and 
close  upon  them  there  appeared  Quitman,  and  Shields, 

*  In  the  crowd  of  officers  of  his  own  division  who  came  over  with 
Gen.  Quitman,  besides  Gen.  Shields,  were  Col.  Burnett,  Major  Dyck- 
man,  and  Lieut.  Sweeny,  of  the  renowned  New  York  regiment.  Col. 
Burnett  was  dreadfully  wounded  at  Churnbusco  in  several  places,  and 
his  recovery  was  miraculous.  Tetanus  had  supervened,  and  he  was 
repeatedly  in  those  terrible  convulsions  that  usually  precede  death. 
Major  Dyckman  received  a  musket  ball  which  passed  from  shoulder 
to  shoulder.  Lieut.  Sweeny  lost  his  arm.  Of  the  fifty  officers  then 
in  the  city,  nearly  all  had  been  wounded ;  and  it  was  noticed  as  a  sin 
gular  coincidence,  that  of  the  many  who  had  lost  an  arm,  it  was  the 
left  arm,  except  in  two  instances. 


JOHN   A.  QUITMAN.  399 

and  Garland,  and  Harney ;  but  why  need  we  again  enu 
merate  those  who  return  to  us  all  fresh  from  fields  made 
immortal  by  the  prowess  of  our  countrymen  ?  What 
heart  so  poor  as  not  to  share  in  the  exultation  with  which 
we  first  read  of  feats  of  arms  unparalleled  in  military  an 
nals  and  then  gaze  upon  the  representatives  of  those  who 
participated  in  those  feats — themselves  distinguished  act 
ors  therein  ?  The  whole  town  was  alive  with  feeling,  and 
the  St.  Charles  was,  throughout  the  day  and  night,  over 
run  with  citizens  flushed  with  pride  and  eager  to  catch 
a  glimpse  of  those  who  had  so  helped  to  swell  the  nation 
al  renown.  How  freshly  we  then  remembered  the  perils 
and  the  glories  of  the  Belen  gate,  the  desperate  assault 
of  Chapultepec,  and  the  older  and  yet  unsurpassed  hon 
ors  of  Cerro  Gordo !  And  there,  in  the  midst  of  all,  were 
moving  the  pale  and  mutilated  forms  of  those  who,  so 
dearly  to  themselves,  had  helped  to  pay  the  price  of  so 
much  glory  to  the  nation.  The  sympathies  of  the  whole 
mass  with  these  wounded  gentlemen  in  vain  sought  ade 
quate  expression.  No  eloquence  can  reach  the  pathos 
of  poor  dumb  wounds." 

On  their  return  from  the  theatre  they  were  serenaded 
at  the  instance  of  the  municipal  authorities,  and  then  ac 
cepted  the  hospitalities  of  Col.  Win.  Christy,  a  veteran 
of  1812.  The  morning  following  they  were  waited  on, 
says  the  Delta,  by  the  mayor  and  members  of  the  coun 
cils,  and  by  crowds  of  citizens.* 

*  In  quoting  from  the  Delta  and  Picayune,  we  are  reminded  of  the 
extraordinary  and  unrivaled  energy  exhibited  by  those  journals  dur 
ing  the  war.  They  were  represented  in  Mexico  by  gentlemen  of  great 
ability,  who  bore  a  gallant  part  in  the  various  engagements,  and  then 
described  them  with  rare  fidelity  and  eloquence.  Mr.  George  W. 
Kendall,  one  of  the  founders  and  editors  of  the  Picayune,  after  having 
steadily  urged  the  necessity  for  the  war,  accompanied  the  army  to 
Mexico,  volunteered  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Worth,  and  distinguished 
himself  at  Churubusco,  Molino  del  Rey,  and  Chapultepec,  where  he 
was  wounded.  His  letters  to  the  Picayune  were  subsequently  re 
produced  in  a  splendid  volume  entitled  "The  United  States  and 
Mexico." 

The  principal  correspondent  of  the  Delta  was  Mr.  James  L.  Frcan- 
er,  a  printer  by  trade,  a  native  of  Maryland,  but  an  early  adventurer 
to  Louisiana  and  Texas.  He  went  to  the  Kio  Grande  with  the  Loui- 


400    LIFE  AND  COEEESPONDENCE  OF  JOHN  A.  QUITMAN. 

Gen.  Quitman,  accompanied  by  several  officers  of  his 
staff  and  many  personal  friends,  left  New  Orleans  on  the 
2 5 th  of  November,  and,  on  his  arrival  at  Natchez,  was 
received  with  every  demonstration  of  honor.  He  was 
saluted  with  cannon  captured  at  Alvaradq,  and  afterward 
escorted  into  the  city  by  a  civic  and  military  procession, 
where  Wm.  T.  Martin,  Esq.,  in  a  strain  of  impassioned 
oratory,  welcomed  the  hero  home.  "  How  wonderful  is 
it,"  said  the  orator,  "that  this  very  city,  bearing  the 
name  of  a  noble  fragment  of  the  Aztec  race,  who,  driven 
from  Mexico  by  the  sword  of  the  Montezumas  or  of  Cor- 
tez,  found  shelter  on  this  bluff,  where  their  proud  name 
is  still  preserved — how  wonderful  is  it  that  from  their 
ashes  should  have  appeared  an  avenger  of  their  wrongs, 
and  that  our  Quitman,  from  fair  Natchez,  was  the  instru 
ment,  in  the  hands  of  Providence,  '  to  spoil  the  spoiler !' " 

At  the  banquet  that  followed,  the  folloAving  toast — a 
compendium  of  the  war — was  proposed  by  one  of  the 
boldest  and  most  daring  men  of  his  time,  the  late  Gen. 
Felix  Huston : 

"  Gen.  Quitman :  « Second  to  none ;'  six  hours  before 
any  other  chieftain,  he  fought  his  way  into  the  heart  of 
Monterey !  eight  hours  before  any  other  leader,  he  storm 
ed  the  garita  and  entered  the  city  of  Mexico ! !  The 
first  to  plant  the  stars  and  stripes  over  the  Halls  of  the 
Montezumas ! ! !" 

siana  regiments,  and  when  they  were  disbanded  he  entered  Capt.  Jack 
Hays's  famous  company  of  the  Rangers.  At  the  battle  of  Monterey 
he  slew  an  officer  of  lancers  in  single  combat  and  seized  his  charger. 
He  thus  gained  the  sobriquet  of  "Mustang,"  under  which  signature 
he  wrote  his  celebrated  letters.  He  subsequently  died  in  California. 


END   OF  VOL.  I. 


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